Pep Guardiola Praises Rodri’s Impact Amid Draw Against Sunderland

SUNDERLAND, England — Pep Guardiola praised Rodri for demonstrating what Manchester City has been missing for the past eighteen months following his impactful substitute appearance in the goalless draw against Sunderland.

City’s failure to secure three points prevented them from becoming the first team to defeat Sunderland at the Stadium of Light this season, which hampered their title quest and allowed Arsenal to take a four-point lead at the top of the Premier League.

Despite the dropped points, Rodri’s performance in the second half, after replacing the injured Nico González, brought much-needed calm and composure to the midfield. Guardiola emphasized the importance of having the Spain international fit to support the team in the latter half of the season, especially since he has started only four league matches since returning from a cruciate ligament injury in September 2024.

“He [Rodri] changed the game,” Guardiola stated to reporters. “In just 45 minutes, he proved that he is the best in his position. Football revolves around the players; we struggled in the buildup, but with Rodri, we faced fewer difficulties. He broke the lines and improved our movement. We have greatly missed him over the past year and a half. I hope he can maintain his fitness because he enhances our team significantly.”

Although City fell behind Arsenal, who triumphed 4-1 against Aston Villa, the Gunners also dropped points earlier in the season when they drew against Sunderland. Guardiola acknowledged that coming away with a point from such a challenging away ground was a positive result.

“It’s a tough place to play,” he remarked. “We missed several opportunities in the six-yard box—chances that should have been converted. We did not implement our strategy in the first half, but overall, it was a commendable performance against a fantastic team. I am proud of my players for their efforts against a difficult opponent. We did everything possible to secure the win.

“The players are a bit disheartened, but we must keep our heads up as we face a challenging match against Chelsea in three days.”

Guardiola also provided updates on injuries, indicating that both Savinho and Nico are likely to miss the upcoming game against Chelsea. “Savinho does not appear to be in a good condition,” he noted. “As for Nico, we will assess his situation further.”