Rodri is approaching the record that would make him the best 'Invincible' in English football
Rodri bids to become the greatest 'Invincible' in English football in Sunday's Manchester derby.
He city of manchester The colossus last lost a club match at Tottenham in February 2023.
He has since been unbeaten in 58 appearances, equaling the record set by former Chelsea Defense Ricardo Carvalho.
A draw or a victory for the midfielder against manchester united This weekend will see him surpass that mark and underline, once again, his importance for Pep Guardiola's team.
No wonder his City teammates claim the 27-year-old is the “finished article” and put him in the running for one of football's best player awards.
When asked if he should be in the Ballon d'Or picture, the City captain Kyle Walker He said: “For what he did last season, what we did as a club and the specialist he is in his position, it must be mentioned.
“He doesn't have social networks. I don't know . . . maybe that's it!
It cannot be a coincidence that City have been unbeatable with Rodri in their lineup for over a year.
When he was suspended at the beginning of the season, after a red card against Nottingham ForestCity lost all three games without him: at Newcastle, Wolves and Arsenal.
City made a move for England Declan Rice in the summer before opting to join Arsenal for £105m from West Ham.
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Walker is a big fan of Rice, 25, but says he's not yet at Rodri's level.
And he added: “I don't think there is a better midfielder in the world right now than Rodri.
“Rice is playing very well and Mikel Arteta can teach you the philosophy and probably the Barcelona way Rodri has grown up seeing.
“Dec has more than enough capacity to do that, but he is not the finished article.
“The finished article, or a step above the rest, at the moment is Rodri.”
Rodri does a lot more than just protecting his defense, although he does a pretty decent job at that. His entire game has improved. He appears with great goals, none bigger than the one in Istanbul that won City the Champions League in June.
Walker added: “What's key about him is his consistency, the level he always plays at and how he adapts and dedicates himself to the game.”
Defender Nathan Ake is grateful for the barrier Rodri gives to the City defence, but says there is much more to his game than that.
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The Netherlands international said: “Rodri is huge for us. He's probably the best in the world at his position.
“The way he controls games and in vital moments he proposes crucial objectives. “It is a great all-rounder.”
It seems strange that after a largely disappointing first season in 2019-20, some pundits wondered if the £62.5million signing was ready to step into the shoes of City legend Fernandinho.
He has proven the skeptics wrong in the three years since and wrote his name into club folklore with the aim of beating Inter and completing the treble.
Although he was given the night off at Luton this week (and City still played six games without him), he has become indispensable to Guardiola in the most important games.
During the pre-season tour of the Far East, Rodri admitted that his workload had been too much.
The Etihad doctors seem to have heard that Phil Foden, Walker and Ederson have played more minutes than him this season. City want Rodri to be available when it matters and since his red mist moment against Forest in September, he has cleaned up his act.
He has not been booked in his last seven domestic games, meaning his seven yellow cards give him some leeway before what could be a costly suspension.
City have managed without key men, including Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne – but losing Rodri for any period of time would be a more significant blow.
