The Debate: Will Manchester City win the Premier League without Rodri?

A season-ending injury with major implications on the title race, Manchester City must continue their quest for a fifth consecutive Premier League crown without their influential midfielder Rodri.

The Spaniard sustained an anterior cruciate ligament injury in the 2-2 draw against Arsenal and initial tests have indicated that Rodri will miss the remainder of the 2024/25 season.

For Manchester City to lose a player of Rodri's significance swings the door wide open for Arsenal in their pursuit of a first Premier League title in 20 years.

Sunday's stalemate means Man City are now 11/8 to win the Premier League, with Arsenal close behind at 6/4.

Will the defending champions remain on top? Or will the Gunners finally oust them after the agonising heartbreak of the previous two seasons?

Members of the bet365 News team debate whether Manchester City will win the 2024/25 Premier League title without Rodri.

If anyone is capable of finding a solution to Rodri's absence, it's Pep Guardiola.

Jaquob Crooke

Rodri, a vital cog to an all-conquering Manchester City side and their relentless domination of the Premier League.

Let’s make no mistake about it, they’re weaker when their Spanish midfield lynchpin is not present and the statistics are indicative of that.

Since he joined the club in 2019, Man City average 2.37 points per game in the Premier League with Rodri, compared to 1.90 points per game without.

Pep Guardiola has never had to cope without Rodri for a prolonged spell and the 28-year-old has consistently been one of the world’s best midfielders, an instrumental figure in helping the club to achieve unprecedented heights.

Man City have arguably been overly dependent on him to function in the past.

Now, I know you might have read this and questioned which team I’m siding with, but I just wanted to reiterate the magnitude of an injury to a player of Rodri’s influence and calibre.

Fortunately for City, they have the greatest tactician to have graced the game who’s responsible for providing a solution to this problem.

They also possess immense quality in reserve, and if you were to bet on anyone finding an answer to the Rodri conundrum, it’s Guardiola.

Let’s not forget that this group of players had little trouble dispatching their opponents without Rodri at the start of the campaign, winning all of their opening three matches comfortably.

Critics questioned Man City’s title credentials when Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland missed large portions of the previous season through injury, yet Guardiola navigated tricky waters and steered the club to a fourth consecutive Premier League title.

The loss of Rodri is undeniably different – there’s no player in the world quite like him - and yet Guardiola will relish the challenge.

Who will fill the void of Rodri’s absence?

Mateo Kovacic is the obvious understudy, while there will be temptation for the Catalan to experiment with John Stones and even Rico Lewis, who considers himself to be a midfielder by trade and has been increasingly trusted by Guardiola despite his inexperience.

There is of course Ilkay Gundogan, who possesses greater influence in an advanced role but has demonstrated he is capable of deputising in a holding capacity.

Guardiola’s innovative structure which brings defenders into the first line of midfield will ensure that whoever is operating in the pivot will not be isolated.

He may even reform his tactical setup entirely; the genius of Guardiola is that you never quite know what he will conjure. His tendency to tinker has undermined him at times but when a push comes to shove, as is the case here, there is no other manager you would want to construct a title-winning formula.

There’s a likelihood that Man City will be more vulnerable defensively but their immense attacking firepower will see them through a catalogue of fixtures.

At present, what’s not to say Manchester City don’t make a foray in the January transfer window to address the Rodri situation?

Arsenal appear to be in the strongest position they’ve ever been under Mikel Arteta to claim the Premier League title, and while their defence is verging on impenetrable, doubts remain on the Gunners’ forward line. Liverpool may also be cautiously optimistic, though their frailties were exposed in the home defeat to Nottingham Forest.

On the other hand, Man City remain a team of relentless, driven winners. As the aftermath of the 2-2 draw proved, they’re a cohesive unit still fuelled by a burning desire for success.

Arsenal poked the bear at the Etihad and Manchester City are the type of animal that shows little remorse.

The stats speak for themselves – when Rodri is absent Manchester City are more prone to losing football matches.

James Wilson

In the past 48 Premier League games in which the Spanish midfielder has started, City have never lost.

Rodri started 34 of City’s 38 Premier League games last year, with three of the remaining four fixtures ending in defeat for Pep Guardiola’s side – away losses at Wolves, Arsenal and Aston Villa.

This isn’t purely a coincidence.

Put simply, there is no natural replacement for what the injured Rodri provides this juggernaut of a City side.

Mateo Kovacic most commonly fills in for Rodri when the Spaniard is unavailable, but the ex-Chelsea midfielder is far more renowned for his ability on the ball as opposed to his ball-winning capacity, whilst John Stones and Rico Lewis are also far from readymade replacements.

Not only the best in the world at breaking up play in the engine room and screening opposition attacks, Rodri is a bona fide leader of men with conspicuous personality on the pitch.

Last season saw Rodri pop up with a number of crucial goals at pivotal moments – winning four points for City with late strikes against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane and Chelsea at home and away.

It’s not only in the sky blue of City in which Rodri has toppled all before him.

Euro 2024 in Germany saw Rodri’s stock in the world of football elevate to new heights as he helped guide Spain to a record fourth Euros crown, with the ex-Atletico Madrid midfielder named player of the tournament and stake a claim for the Ballon d’Or in the process.

Rodri has emerged as football’s unconquerable force. Invincibility personified.

If it is acknowledged that the news of Rodri’s knee injury weakens champions City, this will in turn inevitably strengthen Arsenal’s claim to the Premier League throne.

Such a notion was laid bare in practice at the Etihad Stadium in the match in which Rodri picked up his injury.

The first 20 or so minutes of City and Arsenal’s hotly anticipated meeting in Manchester saw Guardiola’s charges completely dominate their London adversaries, taking an early lead through the sensational Haaland and suffocating the Gunners with an intense pressing game.

In the 21st minute of this crucial clash, Rodri was forced off with a concerning-looking knee injury.

Barely a minute later, Arsenal were level courtesy of a screamer from Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori.

For the remainder of the evening, the confident, assured City side which had begun the match with Rodri patrolling the midfield had been replaced by a ponderous, indecisive team who toiled to break down a spirited Gunners rearguard.

As the City squad and staff wildly celebrated John Stones’ 98th-minute equaliser, a decisive moment in its own right, perhaps the truly defining occurrence of the afternoon was in fact the injury to Rodri.

If there was one thing Arsenal proved at the Etihad, it’s that they are up for a battle this season.

The last player City would have wanted to lose in the battleground is their Spanish lieutenant Rodri.

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