If ever proof were needed of Rodri’s importance to Manchester City, just look at their results without him this season. The Spaniard was suspended for three games after his red card against Nottingham Forest, and City lost all three. They were knocked out of the League Cup by Newcastle and then lost to Wolves and Arsenal in the Premier League. The 27-year-old was available for the Champions League trip to RB Leipzig – which City won 3-1 – and returned to domestic duties for league games against Brighton and Manchester United. Unsurprisingly, City won them both. Key players are often referred to as the heartbeat of a team but Rodri is more like the brain of this City side. He controls everything. “He is maybe the best, or in the top two or three holding midfielders in the world,” said Pep Guardiola earlier this month. It is difficult to disagree with that assessment. After an indifferent start to life in England, Rodri has established himself as the best in his position in the Premier League. New Guardiola signings often take a year or so to understand and then implement the coach’s demands. Once they do, they tend to take the league by storm. Rodri is no different. City have cover for goal machine Erling Haaland or creator-in-chief Kevin De Bruyne, but they have no such replacement for Rodri when he is out. If he is not in the team, they suffer. Since the beginning of the 2020-21 season – his second campaign in England – City have lost 11 of the 40 games Rodri has not started. They have only lost 15 of the 146 games he has started. So, they lose 10.3% of matches with him and 27.5% when he is absent. The former Atlético Madrid midfielder is not one to charge about the pitch in pursuit of possession, though he does shield the defence well. Only four players in the league have won back possession in the midfield third more often than Rodri, and his average of 2.4 tackles per 90 minutes is also a solid return. Rodri’s work on the ball is where he really excels, though – his precision allows City to dominate matches and advance up the pitch. City rank top for both possession (63%) and pass success rate (89.8%) in the Premier League this season and Rodri’s influence is vital to their control. He has made 103.1 passes per game – more than any midfielder in Europe’s top five leagues – and his 94.3% pass success rate ranks top in the Premier League for players in his position. What makes Rodri even more impressive is his range of passing. He does not make short passes to teammates for the sake of retaining possession, but rather looks to probe and spread the play to ensure City maximise their dominance. He has made 6.6 accurate long balls per game this season – more than any other outfield player in the league. For context, the outfield player who comes closest to matching Rodri is the Newcastle centre-back Fabian Schär (5.7), while Enzo Fernández (5.1) is the midfielder who ranks second for this metric. City attack through the middle of the pitch more than any other team in the league (32%) and Rodri’s range of passing is crucial. His ability to pick out teammates – even when opponents use a low block – means City’s attacking players can swarm forward in the knowledge that the ball will be played to their feet. They could not replicate this style when he was missing; City scored just once in their three successive domestic defeats, a Julián Álvarez free-kick against Wolves. City cannot afford to lose Rodri again if they want to repeat last season’s treble. Ilkay Gündogan has moved to Barcelona and none of the other central midfielders on the books is as precise and effective as Rodri, on or off the ball. Kalvin Phillips and Mateo Kovacic featured against Newcastle, supported by Rico Lewis. The latter two played at the Emirates, with Kovacic and Matheus Nunes selected for the defeat at Molineux. City lost ground in the title race when Rodri was absent – they are third in the table behind Tottenham and Arsenal, who both remain undefeated – so they need him to stay fit and available. If he is forced into another spell on the sidelines, be it through injury or suspension, we may well see a different Premier League champion next year. That’s how important Rodri is to City. Premier League team of the week