Guardiola acknowledges Man City’s challenge in winning without Rodri

Following Manchester City’s 1-0 defeat against Aston Villa, manager Pep Guardiola conceded that his team must adapt to winning without midfielder Rodri.

Leon Bailey’s deflected strike secured a deserved victory for Villa and marked City’s fourth consecutive Premier League game without a win.

Spanish midfielder Rodri was suspended for the match, and Guardiola recognized the importance of finding success even in his absence.

City has faced challenges when Rodri is not in the starting lineup, with their last five defeats across all competitions occurring when he was unavailable.

Guardiola commented after the game, saying, “Rodri is an important player, of course, but when he is not there, we have to find a way to win without him.”

City’s recent results have left them six points behind the top spot in the Premier League, and Guardiola expressed a desire to improve their position. He acknowledged the disappointment of making three draws and suffering a loss in their most recent outing.

“We are six points [off the top], and we would prefer to be top of the league, but we made three draws and then lose today,” Guardiola said.