A Look At One Of The Greatest Seasons In Manchester City History
Image: Nick Potts/PA, Penn Wire
MANCHESTER, England - It was the end of the UEFA Champions League final - the cherry on top of an incredible season for both Manchester City and their defensive midfield lynchpin Rodrigo Hérnandez, better known as Rodri. Undoubtedly one of the key players for Manchester City, Rodri had an incredible season as Manchester City went on to win the treble.
While many players in this Manchester City side can be easily replaced, the same cannot be said of Rodri. This season, Rodri was only on the bench for four games and not in the squad for one game, showing how monumental he was in this Manchester City side. Furthermore, no one, not even Erling Haaland made as many appearances for Manchester City this season as Rodri did.
It is one thing to play in that many games, but it is another to perform well in that many games. In the Premier League this season, Rodri led the Manchester City team in tackles (67), tackles won (41), blocks (40) and interceptions (33). Rodri was quite literally Manchester City’s defensive rock.
In addition to the defensive side, Rodri also contributed on the offensive side of the game. Both goals he scored in the Champions League, against Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, were absolute screamers, proving that he can contribute offensively as well defensively.
Here’s a brief summary of what Rodri achieved this season:
Premier League winner
FA Cup winner
UEFA Champions League winner
UEFA Nations League winner
Named to UEFA Champions League Team of the Season
Named UEFA Champions League Player of the Season
Named UEFA Champions League Player of the Final
Named UEFA Nations League Player of the Finals
It was perhaps his teammates who phrased it best after the Champions League final, chanting in the dressing room “Rodri’s on fire, your defense is terrified!” With Rodri, Manchester City have a defensive midfield lynchpin for many years to come.
