City sailing into title waves without talismanic anchor

A red card and a late goal saved the day for Manchester City but Rodri's injury could have far more telling consequences

- RICHARD JOLLY

Some 70 or 80 games a season was far too many, he said. Around 40 or 50 would be about right. And then came the moment that may make Manchester City wonder how many more than his meagre tally of three he will muster.

Rather than going on strike, as Rodri suggested players might, he could be spared matches by an extended stint on the treatment table. If Arsenal could derive plenty of cause for encouragement from their 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium, one had nothing to do with their set-piece expertise, rearguard action and resilience. It stretched beyond Riccardo Calafiori’s auspicious full debut, William Saliba’s defiance and David Raya’s reflexes.

Exit Rodri: from a game, potentially from much of the title race, possibly irrevocably altering it. “I haven’t spoken to the doctor,” said Pep Guardiola. There was no diagnosis yet, but an admission. Rodri would not have gone off, especially in a match of this magnitude, unless he needed to. Knee injuries can have a severity. Caught by Kai Havertz after three seconds, upended by Thomas Partey after a quarter of an hour, the man City thought was invincible and indestructible hobbled off.

Guardiola contemplated what it all meant. “Rodri is strong,” he said. “He leaves the pitch in this action because he felt something, otherwise Rodri stays there. He’s the best holding midfielder in the world. He is a potential Ballon d’Or winner. I would love for him to win.”