The return of one Manchester City midfielder to his best has seen another miss out
The return of one Manchester City midfielder to his best has seen another miss out Manchester City have been fortunate to have Rodri return to his best over the past couple of months. Alongside Bernardo Silva, Rodri remains the heartbeat of Manchester City’s midfield. No better example of this occurred during Manchester City’s recent 2-0 win over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley.
Bernardo and Rodri were immense in midfield, which set the scene for Manchester City. But as Rodri returned to his best, Nico has become the forgotten man in Manchester City’s midfield. The Spanish midfielder has primarily been a substitute of late, which is a shame given how strongly he performed earlier this season.
Pep Guardiola praised Nico yesterday ahead of Manchester City’s FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool. The Manchester City manager spoke highly of Nico while acknowledging the competition Nico faces to find a regular spot in Manchester City’s midfield. Nico is competing with Rodri for minutes which is the reason why he hasn’t played much recently.
Pep Guardiola acknowledged that Nico hasn’t played recently. However, the Manchester City manager explained that Nico is learning from Rodri and that despite not playing, the Spanish midfielder continues to train hard. He explained yesterday : “ Nico played alongside O’Reilly at Newcastle and they were both some of the best performances this season, but Rodri is Rodri.
Sometimes you need minutes to become who you are but you see Rodri in the Carabao Cup final, Bernardo too, it’s just that. Like Khusanov, he accepts the situation and trains harder. Always he’s ready.