ETIHAD STADIUM, MANCHESTER – Rodri has told his Manchester City team-mates they have no further margin for error in the Premier League title race with Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta's side opened up a six-point lead at the summit thanks to impressive wins over Aston Villa and Bournemouth either side of the new year.
On those same matchweeks, City's eight-game winning run across all competitions ground to a halt with a frustrating 0-0 draw against Sunderland before Enzo Fernandez's 94th-minute equaliser saw managerless Chelsea snatch a 1-1 draw at the Etihad Stadium.
A veteran of City's historic run of four titles in a row between 2020/21 and 2023/24, Rodri knows better than most what is required in the unrelenting slog of a title battle. He also recognises a formidable adversary in Arsenal, who have finished as runners-up in each of the past three seasons.
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"We have to face these kinds of things, but I think overall, credit to the team I think we did a very complete game," he said, reflecting on the Chelsea match, where Tijjani Reijnders fired City ahead shortly before halftime. "This is the path we have to follow but, to have a chance, we have to win every single game.
"We missed a lot of chances. I think we have to be more clinical and more effective in those situations. The game changed and we didn’t. At 1-0, you always have these risks and, in the last minute, they scored. We have to learn from these things, don’t put your head down and keep the strong, champion mentality we have and fight for it until the end.”
The action from our draw with Chelsea 📺 pic.twitter.com/jhSzAdG7m8
— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 4, 2026
Long, rumbling winning runs have been a hallmark of Pep Guardiola's finest sides, from all 14 of their final Premier League games to pip Liverpool at the post in 2018/19, to going undefeated in the top flight from December 6 to the end of the campaign in 2023/24.
The latter success was part of the body of work that saw Rodri win the Ballon d'Or. When it comes to the current City vintage matching those exploits, the evidence is – at best – mixed.
“It’s quite a gap, but football is for moments," Rodri said. "We know that it’s a big gap that we have to still fight for. Don’t focus on the table, just focus on our level, and all the big things that are going to come at the end of the season.
"Let’s see where we are in May and we’ll see if we have chances to go for it. It doesn’t feel good to be behind; we know that we have to be strong in the head to keep battling. We have to be smart enough to know that we can’t drop many points.
"This period has ups and downs, we need to know that from now on, until the end of the season, we have to go for it.”
Rodri's performance was the huge positive from the Chelsea game for City. After having his 2024/25 season decimated by a ruptured ACL, the Spain midfielder has suffered a succession of muscular problems.
Back in our midfield 💪🩵 pic.twitter.com/3rDK7o0Psu
— Manchester City (@ManCity) January 5, 2026
Following an appearance as a halftime substitute for the injured Nico Gonzalez at Sunderland, Rodri made his first Premier League start for three months in the Chelsea game, completing the 90 minutes as injury woes elsewhere compromised Guardiola's side.
It will take time to build back to full match fitness but, for the first hour against Chelsea, Rodri looked like he hadn't missed a beat as he imperiously dictated City's best spells of the contest. Keep him fit and in that sort of form, and one of those gargantuan winning runs might not be completely out of reach.
"It’s a joy to again enjoy football, you can see my smile," he added. "It’s been a long, tough period for me, but yes, I’m back here, trying to help my teammates."