Rodri’s insane moment
Manchester City fans rose to their feet to praise Rodri as he hobbled away after receiving his marching orders, but they would not have been so enthusiastic if they had watched a replay of the incident. At the opening of the second half, Rodri squared up to Morgan Gibbs-White and then clumsily lifted both hands to the midfielder’s throat. The lengthy inspection simply underlined VAR’s inability to re-referee every event, rather than providing any defense for Rodri’s actions.
In the week following Rodri’s goal against Red Star, Pep Guardiola stated that he was the best midfielder in Europe. After receiving an unnecessary red card, he will miss the next three games, including the vital trip to Arsenal.
Guardiola benched Joao Cancelo practically permanently after his own dumb red card against Fulham last season, and Sergio Gomez hasn’t been trusted in defence since his red card against Copenhagen – will Rodri face the same fate?
Even for a player as important as Rodri, it was a crazy moment from one of Guardiola’s captains, and the manager didn’t look at the midfielder as he moved towards the dugout. Guardiola turned and glared at Rodri after he had past, apparently enraged by the dismissal. Less prominent players have had their City careers ended due to minor infractions.
The indignant reaction of Haaland
It would be unreasonable to suggest Erling Haaland has been playing poorly or that he is out of form, but it was reasonable to criticize his finishing over the past week, when he should have had 10 goals instead of one against West Ham and Red Star. Guardiola advised anyone considering criticizing the striker that they were playing a hazardous game, as Haaland has a habit of silencing critics on a regular basis. Despite this, he had squandered some pretty good opportunities in the preceding week.
There was no way he was going to miss his first goal against Forest, as Matheus Nunes stood up the cross for an unmarked Haaland to force home. He smacked the bar with his fist.
Haaland’s outraged reply
It would be absurd to claim Erling Haaland has been playing poorly or is out of form, but it was acceptable to criticize his finishing over the last week, when he should have had ten goals instead of one against West Ham and Red Star. Guardiola warned anyone thinking about criticizing Haaland that they were playing a dangerous game since Haaland has a tendency of silencing detractors on a daily basis. Despite this, he had blown several golden opportunities in the previous week.
Matheus Nunes stood up the cross for an unmarked Haaland to force home, and there was no way he was going to miss his first goal against Forest. He hit the bar with his fist.
Walker’s new offensive threat
When reacting to Kyle Walker’s new deal, Guardiola pronounced him a better footballer over the last year. He is no longer ‘simply’ a powerful right-back, but a full-back capable of inverting into midfield or forming a back three when necessary. Walker’s versatility has kept him in City’s team when Rico Lewis threatened last season, but he is also at his best when moving up and down the right wing.
That ability to cover right-wing and right-back at the same time has allowed Phil Foden to thrive in the ‘inside right’ position as a second number 10 in recent weeks, while Walker has also benefited from being higher up the pitch. His perseverance in Sheffield was crucial.
Sheffield United forced the winner after giving up the equalizer, and he scored for England on international duty when racing into the area.
He had a same goal disallowed for offside against Red Star earlier week, and Rodri identified his run early on against Forest. The quarterback pass was flawless, Walker’s cushioned first-time pass to Foden was fantastic, and the lashing finish was dramatic. Walker has added the role of winger to his arsenal, which is just developing as he gets older, with Gareth Southgate observing.
The 46-pass move demonstrates second-string abilities.
When Foden volleyed in Walker’s cushioned cutback to open the scoring, it capped off a spectacular 46-pass move that came alive with the final three involvements following Rodri’s cross over the top. No goal has been preceded by as many passes since 2014, with only one other goal having more passes in the build-up on record. When the space opened up, it was a masterclass in possession football, patience, and clinical quality.
Guardiola only spoke about the positives of his new players’ ability to run with the ball and tear down defenses on Friday, with Josko Gvardiol, Matheus Nunes, and Jeremy Doku all starting on Saturday. It’s been a trademark of City’s recent form, with Guardiola giving up some control.
That earned him the triple for his more typical directness, which helped him win titles in the 2000s and 2010.
Despite all of the changes in strategy this year, some of which were required due to injury, the new players and fringe players who stepped up shown that they can still play the tiki-taka method that Guardiola prefers. And, following Rodri’s ridiculous red card, they demonstrated their ability to dig deep and grind out a result.
Digging deep with assistance from the stands
With several vital players missing, the last thing City needed was a stupid red card for one of their most crucial players. But Rodri didn’t get the half-time word and ended up causing havoc for his teammates just a minute into the second half. Guardiola promptly substituted Kalvin Phillips for a rare 40-minute appearance, and shortly after added Nathan Ake to his back four to form a back five. To emphasize the new game plan, Doku and the effective Julian Alvarez were withdrawn.
Guardiola had no choice but to commit to playing so cautiously when Forest brought in four good strikers to join Morgan Gibbs-White and Taiwo Awoniyi. The feedback was positive.
Nunes is hardworking, and Phillips jumps right in without the customary reluctance that plagues him.
The fans, too, reacted to the situation, understanding that their 10 men required assistance. When Forest pressed and behaved like the 12th man (or 11th man in this case), the entire crowd became louder. Guardiola may be enraged by Rodri’s red card, but he can be happy with the pragmatic approach both on and off the field.
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