What is Manchester City’s record with and without Rodri?

Before Wednesday’s Premier League game away to Aston Villa, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola claimed he would retire from soccer if his team won the treble for a second successive season. After 1-0 defeat, however, the former Barcelona coach admitted his side were “struggling” at the moment after just one victory in five matches. The loss at Villa Park was their first in that run, although the fact it came without the absent Rodri has added to the growing belief he has become their most important player.

The Spanish midfielder was suspended for the midweek fixture after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in City’s previous outing, the 3-3 draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur, with the fit-again John Stones taking his place in one of the two deeper-lying midfield positions. But the Champions League holders were the latest to succumb to Villa’s superb home form, with Leon Bailey’s second-half strike securing a a 14th successive win for Unai Emery’s outfit in front of their own fans.

Rodri the key to City success in 2023-24

This season, Rodri has missed three Premier League games through suspension, all of which City have lost (1-2 at Wolves, 0-1 at Arsenal and 0-1 at Aston Villa). He also wasn’t in the squad for the Carabao Cup third round defeat to Newcastle United at the end of September. All in all, each of their last five reverses have come without the Spain international.

On the flip side, Guardiola’s men are unbeaten in matches in which has played, winning nine and drawing three of 12 Premier League games as well as taking maximum points in all four Champions League group stage matches. Rodri also played in the Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup (do we count them as competitive fixtures?), with City losing the former and winning the latter in penalty shootouts.

The only match they have won without the midfielder this season is the Champions League group game at home to Swiss side Young Boys, when he was an unused substitute.

When was the last time Rodri lost with Manchester City?

The 27-year-old is undefeated in his last 43 matches in a City shirt (33 wins and 10 draws), with the last time tasted defeat at club level coming all the way back in February in a 1-0 defeat away to Spurs.

While the reigning English champions seem to have felt Rodri’s absence more than ever in recent times, their overall record with and without him also underlines his importance to the team.

Rodri and City’s overall win and loss ratios in the Premier League

Since he signed from Atlético Madrid in 2019, Manchester City have won 110 and lost only 19 of the 150 Premier League games he has played (a 73.3% win ratio and 12.7% loss ratio). When he has been absent through injury or suspension, they have now recorded only nine victories and suffered seven defeats in 17 matches (a 52.9% win ratio and 41.2% loss ratio).

Erling Haaland may be the man who has grabs the majority of the headlines in a light blue shirt, but the numbers suggest Rodri is the glue that holds last season’s treble winners together.