When the Premier League Player of the Season nominees were announced on Thursday, the usual suspects made the cut. Arsenal pair Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice were included, Aston Villa hero Ollie Watkins was nominated, so too was Chelsea star Cole Palmer. Manchester City’s Phil Foden, Erling Haaland and Rod… wait… are we reading this right? There’s… no Rodri? Surely this is a mix up. Surely the Spaniard is up for the award!?
It’s not an oversight. Rodri wasn’t nominated for the Player of the Season accolade. ‘Whenever the Player of the Season awards are mentioned, all the other footballers should be saying “Where’s Rodri?”‘
This is the player that makes Manchester City click. The reason City are favourites for the title, despite being second in the league with three games to play, is because of Rodri. The reason City are set to face off against rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final later this month, is because of Rodri.
The likes of Haaland and Foden draw the praise but it’s Rodri who keeps City ticking over. Without him, Pep Guardiola’s side are a shadow of themselves, emphasised by a domestic three-game losing streak earlier in the campaign where the former Atletico man was suspended. In league action, the 27-year-old hasn’t been on the losing side since a 1-0 defeat at Tottenham last February.
And yet, Rodri has been overlooked for the Player of the Season award. City are nowhere near as dominant a side without Rodri in the XI, as noted in that he is top for accurate passes (3053) in the Premier League this season. City have the best possession average (65.9%) in the league because Rodri is so effective on the ball that opponents struggle to gain a foothold in a game.
With a pass success rate of 92.3%, the Spain international is able to pick out a teammate with ease, be it short passes to keep play ticking over and raking long balls as City seek to transition from defence to attack in the blink of an eye. Indeed, 6.9 accurate long balls per game is more than any other outfield player in England’s top tier this term, a return that is sixth overall.
Rodri in the Premier League this season:
◎ Most accurate passes (3053)
◎ Most accurate passes in final third (925)
◎ Most final third entries (407)
◎ 2nd highest rated player (7.62)
◎ 7 goals
◎ 9 assistsNot nominated for the #PL POTS… 🫥 pic.twitter.com/27idPnGICs
— WhoScored.com (@WhoScored) May 9, 2024
It’s not just Rodri’s ability to successfully recycle possession and set City on the frontfoot that means he is considered one of the best in his position in world football. 64 tackles ranks 32nd in the Premier League this season, while only Ryan Christie (118) has won possession in the midfield third more times than Rodri (116) in the 2023/24 campaign, this despite City’s dominance.
When City are not in possession, Rodri will make it his mission to win the ball back for Pep Guardiola’s side to help set the Cityzens on the frontfoot once more. He’s more than just the shield for the defence, tasked with protecting the backline. No, Rodri is the heartbeat and the brain of this all-conquering City side. After all, how many “defensive” midfielders can lay claim to boasting 16 involvements?
All of this, and more, have contributed towards Rodri’s WhoScored rating of 7.62, that ranking second to Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka (7.67) in the Premier League this season with the midfielder undoubtedly City’s most valuable player. That Rodri has made such an unglamorous role as exciting as it is is a testament to his ability and has added to the struggles to truly pigeon-hole exactly what type of midfielder the City star is.
Guardiola has previously described Rodri as “the best midfield player, currently, in the world by far” and you’d be hard pressed to find better. And yet Rodri’s name was absent from the eight-man Premier League Player of the Season shortlist. That he hasn’t been nominated depreciates the value of the award.
