Rodri this, Rodri that. Yes, it goes without saying that the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner is absolutely integral to the operation of Manchester City and their success on the pitch. But without him, two elements keep Pep Guardiola’s team alive.
If it hadn’t been for two players this weekend, and in many games already this season, who knows how much further down the Premier League table we would be.
No, it’s not Kevin de Bruyne. It’s not Josko Gvardiol. He’s not Ederson or Stefan Ortega Moreno.
We’re talking about Ruben Dias and Erling Haaland, and if City’s injury list worsens further due to problems with either of those two, you can almost certainly write off the entire campaign.
In the Portuguese defender you have a natural leader. The true captain of City’s defensive line. The one who devotes his whole life to his profession and who, for the moment, prevents the club from scoring three goals per game – or at least that was the case at Selhurst Park.
There is a calm and assured presence to his game. No erratic errors of judgment, but a smooth transition into various strategies deployed by Guardiola and, at times, Dias has to pass that on to other members of the team.
Perhaps if sentimental value wasn’t at the heart of leadership votes in previous seasons, we would consider Dias to be Manchester City’s captain for years to come.
And then we turn to Haaland. Fifteen goals separate the Norwegian from a cohort of six City players tied with three goals in the top scorers’ table this season. Was it perfect? Absolutely not, and I’m sure he would be the first to admit it himself.
But can you imagine a scenario where the 24-year-old is injured and Guardiola is forced to look to the rest of his team to score goals? It’s possible, and we’d rather not imagine it.
For now, while Guardiola awaits the return of his injured stars, Haaland and Dias remain the beacon of hope for a successful season.
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