Paul Dickov has claimed that Manchester City midfielder Rodri has raised the bar that Fernandinho set at the club.
Since the Brazilian left the Manchester club back in 2022, Rodri has been a prominent figure in Pep Guardiola’s side, featuring in all but two of their 38 Premier League games last season.
Having started all of the 17 Premier League games he’s been available for in this campaign, the Spaniard has now found himself on the end of some heavy praise from one former City player.
Dickov says Rodri has raised the bar
Speaking in a livestream on the club’s YouTube channel prior to City’s Premier League match at Newcastle United, Dickov had this to say about Rodri.
He said: “I think everybody was worried when Fernandinho left and how we were going to replace him, who was going to come in and can Rodri do it.
“I love Fernandinho, we all did, but I think Rodri has took that position to a completely different level now.
“No way are we a one-man team but the games that Rodri has not played in, we’ve struggled in, and I think that says a lot.”
As Dickov mentioned, out of the three league games that the 27-year-old missed through suspension against Wolves, Arsenal and Aston Villa, City lost all of them, scoring just one goal and conceding four in the process.
This highlights how much the Citizens miss the midfielder when he’s not in the team.
In terms of what he’s done when on the pitch, prior to the Newcastle game, the Spain international had racked up a higher combined total of tackles and interceptions (49) than any other City player, as well as making more progressive passes (162) than any of his teammates.
While it’s clear that Rodri is one of City’s most important players, it’s hard to say how he has elevated what it takes to play in a defensive-midfield role in comparison to Fernandinho.
