SUNDERLAND, England — Pep Guardiola praised Rodri for demonstrating what Manchester City has been lacking for the past year and a half during his substitute appearance in a goalless draw at Sunderland.
The draw prevented City from taking all three points and becoming the first team to defeat Sunderland at the Stadium of Light this season, impacting their title race and allowing Arsenal to start 2026 with a four-point advantage over Guardiola’s team at the top of the Premier League.
Despite not securing the full points, Rodri’s impactful performance in the second half, after taking over for the injured Nico González, brought much-needed stability to the City midfield.
Guardiola emphasized the importance of having the Spain international regain his fitness, especially with Rodri having made only four league starts since recovering from a cruciate ligament injury in September 2024, as City heads into the second half of the season.
“He [Rodri] changed the game,” Guardiola stated to reporters. “In just 45 minutes, he showed he is the best in his position.
“Football relies on the players — we struggled in buildup play, but with Rodri, things improved.
“He broke lines, we moved better, and we’ve truly missed him over the past year and a half.
“I hope he can maintain his fitness as he makes us a stronger team.”
While City fell behind Arsenal, who secured a 4-1 victory over Aston Villa on Tuesday, the Gunners themselves had earlier dropped points in a draw against Sunderland this season.
Guardiola acknowledged that coming away with a point from one of the Premier League’s most challenging venues is a credit to his side.
“It’s a tough place to play,” he admitted. “We missed several chances in the six-yard box—ones we should have converted.
“We didn’t execute our plan in the first half, but overall it was a solid performance against a top team.
“I’m proud of my players for their efforts against such a tough opponent. We did everything possible to win.
“The players might feel down, but we need to keep our heads up because we face another tough match against Chelsea in three days.”
Injury concerns arose as Savinho and Nico were both substituted due to injuries and are expected to miss Sunday’s encounter against Chelsea.
“Savinho’s situation doesn’t appear favorable,” Guardiola noted. “As for Nico, we will need to assess his condition.”