The insane moment of Rodri

The Manchester City supporters stood to cheer Rodri as he limped off after receiving his marching orders, but if they had watched a replay of the incident, they would not have been quite as enthusiastic. At the very beginning of the second half, Rodri had foolishly squared up to Morgan Gibbs-White and lifted both hands to the midfielder’s throat. The extensive review failed to provide any justification for Rodri’s behavior and instead demonstrated how inadequate VAR is for re-refereeing every occurrence.

In the week following his goal against Red Star, Pep Guardiola declared Rodri to be the most complete midfielder in Europe. After receiving an unnecessary red card, he will miss the next three games, including the important trip to Arsenal. Will Rodri receive the same treatment from Guardiola as Joao Cancelo did after his own dumb red card against Fulham last season, and Sergio Gomez hasn’t been trusted in defense since his red against Copenhagen?

It was a moment of craziness from one of Guardiola’s captains, even for a player as crucial as Rodri, and the manager didn’t look at the midfielder as he moved towards the dugout. Guardiola didn’t turn and gaze at the player until after Rodri had past, evidently enraged by the dismissal. For less serious acts, lesser-known players have had their City careers ended.

It is incorrect to suggest that Erling Haaland has been playing poorly or that he is out of form, but it was reasonable to question his goal-scoring ability over the last week, since he might have scored 10 goals against West Ham and Red Star rather than just one. Anyone considering criticizing the striker should be aware that doing so is a risky move because Haaland frequently muzzles his detractors. However, by his standards, he had missed a few excellent opportunities in the preceding week.

When Matheus Nunes stood up the cross for an unmarked Haaland to force home, there was no way he was going to miss his opening goal against Forest. He missed a similar opportunity against Red Star but came dangerously close to scoring on this one. After two or three significant misses, his celebration at West Ham was one of pure relief; this one, though, was more rebellious.

Haaland waited a moment after accepting praise from his teammates and admirers before letting out a loud yell for the audience. He is a player who doesn’t settle for anything less than perfection, so he will be aware that this week, perhaps, his standards have been lowered. Guardiola advised Haaland’s detractors to be ready to make amends if and when he scores again. After scoring the second goal on Saturday, Haaland was prepared to accept responsibility for those regrets.

Walker’s latest offensive threat

In response to Kyle Walker’s new contract, Guardiola proclaimed that the full-back had improved as a player over the previous 12 months. He is no longer ‘simply’ a strong right-back; rather, he is a full-back with the ability to switch to midfield or form a back three if necessary. Walker’s mobility has allowed City to maintain him after Rico Lewis threatened last season, but he also continues to perform at his best when moving up and down the right side.

In recent weeks, Phil Foden has thrived in the ‘inside right’ position as a second number 10 thanks to his ability to cover both the right wing and the right back simultaneously. Walker has also benefited by playing higher up the pitch. He rushed into the box to score for England while on international duty because of his perseverance at Sheffield United after giving up the equalizer.

Against Red Star this past week, he had an identical goal disallowed for offside, and Rodri noticed his run against Forest early on. Walker’s cushioned, first-time toss to Foden was excellent, the quarterback’s pass was flawless, and the lashing finish was powerful. Walker has expanded his skill set, which is only becoming bigger as he gets older, by taking on the winger position while Gareth Southgate watches.

Move 46 demonstrates the second-string’s strengths

Walker’s cushioned cutback was met by Foden’s volley to open the scoring, capping a brilliant 46-pass move that came to life with the final three touches following Rodri’s over-the-top pass. Only one other goal in history has had more passes in the build-up than this one, and none have been preceded by as many passes since 2014. When the opportunity presented itself, it was a lesson in patience, clinical quality, and possession play.

Guardiola only mentioned the advantages of his new players’ ability to run with the ball and break lines on Friday, even though Josko Gvardiol, Matheus Nunes, and Jeremy Doku all got the start on Saturday. Guardiola has traded part of the control that helped him win the treble for a more conventional directness that would win titles in the 2000s and 2010s, and this has been a defining characteristic of City’s recent form.

The new players and fringe players rising up this year proved they can still play the tiki-taka approach that Guardiola wants, despite all the changes in strategy this year—some of which were required due to injuries. They also demonstrated that they can dig deep to grind out a win after Rodri’s ridiculous red card.

Digging deep with assistance from the audience

An idiotic red card for one of City’s most crucial players was the last thing they needed with a number of essential teammates sidelined. However, barely a minute into the second half, Rodri didn’t get the signal to keep things relaxed after halftime and caused his teammates a lot of trouble. For a brief 40-minute appearance, Guardiola brought on Kalvin Phillips right away. He then added Nathan Ake to his back four to create a back five. To emphasize the new strategy, Doku and Julian Alvarez were removed from the game.

Guardiola had no choice but to play so defensively since Forest added four talented attackers to join Morgan Gibbs-White and Taiwo Awoniyi. The response was positive, with Nunes working hard and Phillips jumping right in without the usual hesitancy he exhibits.

The crowd reacted as well, realizing that their 10 men needed assistance. Every time Forest applied pressure, the entire crowd became louder and played the role of the 12th man (or, in this case, the 11th man). Rodri’s red may have angered Guardiola, but he may be satisfied with the practical response both on and off the field.