Guardiola says Rodri ‘changed the game’ in Manchester City return

SUNDERLAND, England — Pep Guardiola said Rodri showed Manchester City what it had been missing for a year and a half after the Ballon d’Or winner’s substitute performance in a goalless draw at Sunderland.

City’s failure to take all three points and become the first team to beat Sunderland at the Stadium of Light this season damaged their title quest and allowed Arsenal to start 2026 four points clear of Guardiola’s side at the top of the Premier League.

But despite the dropped points, Rodri’s second-half performance after replacing the injured Nico González brought calm and composure to City’s midfield.

And Guardiola said it was crucial for City that the Spain international, who has started just four league matches since returning from a cruciate ligament injury in September 2024, is now able to stay fit and help the team in the second half of the season.

“He [Rodri] was a game changer,” Guardiola told reporters. “He proved in 45 minutes that he was the best in his position.

“Football is a matter of players. In the preparation, we had difficulty and with Rodri, we had less difficulty.

“He broke the lines, we moved better and a year and a half without him, we missed him a lot.

“I hope he can stay fit because he makes us a better team.”

While City failed to keep pace with Arsenal after their 4-1 home win over Aston Villa on Tuesday, the Gunners also dropped points in the draw at Sunderland earlier this season.

And Guardiola admitted City took a point at one of the Premier League’s toughest away grounds.

“It’s a tough place to come,” he said. “The number of chances we missed in the penalty area, not difficult, we couldn’t convert them.

“We didn’t do what we talked about in the first half, but overall it was a very good game against a fantastic team.

“I’m so proud of my players against a tough opponent. We did everything we could to win.

“The guys are a bit heads down, but we have to be heads down because in three days we have a tough game against Chelsea.”

Savinho and Nico have both been replaced due to injuries and are likely to miss Sunday’s match against Chelsea.

“Savinho doesn’t look good,” Guardiola said. “Nico, we’ll see.”