Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has highlighted one thing that Rodri needs to improve on.
The midfielder will be available to play in this weekend’s Premier League clash against Brighton & Hove Albion after completing his three-match ban having been sent off in City’s 2-0 win over Nottingham Forest last month.
Having lost all three of the matches the Spaniard was unavailable for, Guardiola has been sharing his thoughts on the 27-year-old including his return to the team and what he can improve on moving forward.
Guardiola shares what Rodri needs to improve on
Speaking in his recent press conference ahead of tomorrow’s clash against the Seagulls, Guardiola had this to say about Rodri, who City paid £62m to sign back in 2019.
He said: “So important. He will learn. He got sent off. But there was two fouls on Rodri where the referee didn’t apply the rule, without that he doesn’t get sent off. After that he has to learn. Control emotions, stand up and go. I’m pretty sure he will learn.”
With Rodri getting himself sent off for putting both of his hands around the throat of Morgan Gibbs-White during last month’s clash against Forest, it’s not surprising to hear that Guardiola thinks the midfielder needs to control his emotions in certain situations, especially when it comes to clashes with opponents.
In terms of how important the midfielder is for the team, despite missing City’s two previous league games, he still has the highest total of progressive passes in the squad (58) as well as the second-highest total of recoveries (45%) and joint-second highest combined total of tackles and interceptions (16).
Rodri’s overall performances have earned him a strong season rating of 7.62/10 from WhoScored, making him the highest-rated City player and third-highest-rated player in the Premier League behind James Maddison (7.76/10) and Bukayo Saka (7.74/10).
With all of that in mind, it’s clear that having the midfielder back will be a massive boost for the Citizens, especially if he’s learned his lesson and doesn’t end up getting himself involved in more clashes that get him sent off again.
