The 2023/24 Ballon d’Or winner, Manchester City defensive midfielder Rodri has had a long road back to full recovery from an ACL tear, but against Leeds United on Saturday, we all saw the true Rodri of old dominating on the pitch.
It was a close result, just a 1-0 win over a lower level team in the Premier League, but these are the kinds of hard fought victories that champions are made of, and Man City suddenly look every bit as likely to win the league as Arsenal despite still being a few points down.
Rodri was no nonsense and impervious again in that holding midfield role. He attempted a whalloping 124 passes in the clean sheet victory, cleaning house defensively while aggressively driving the ball forward with four fouls drawn and 10 of 15 long balls completed.
The technical quality, vision, composure on the ball, and athleticism Rodri displayed were all components that made him the best player in the world just a couple of seasons ago before the ACL tear derailed things.
We are not seeing the Ballon d’Or Rodri just yet, but this was a step in that direction from the Spanish international, who has been solid this season without being spectacular.
It was only Leeds, but as Rodri continues to build off these performances, we will begin to see the unequivocal best No. 6 in the world very soon at the Etihad, and then Declan Rice and Arsenal can truly eat their hearts out.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2010. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has run sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling.