CHulsey was once a trendsetter, someone with a redefined role. Following Didier Drogba’s arrival in west London, many Premier League sides have clamored for a player who can enjoy the same success in the lone striker position. The Ivorian has redefined what a lonely frontman can do.
Twenty years later, Manchester City midfielder Rodri is someone the club wants to replicate as he was integral to their European and Premier League title success. Chelsea have spent around £250m on Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia in the past 12 months in the hope they can find someone who can form the basis of a new era .
None of the trio have lived up to their expensive bills since heading to Stamford Bridge – Lavia has played half an hour all season – considering what Fernandes and Caicedo are preparing to face at the Etihad Pressured, they may feel a little overwhelmed. But they were well organized and showed great character during the long siege. It’s perhaps worth reminding people that Rodri’s first year at City was a tough learning curve.
City will always dominate possession, the question is how Chelsea respond. The two South American players looked comfortable as the Blues enjoyed 77 per cent of possession in their win over Crystal Palace on Monday night, but things have turned around here and a change of mentality is needed.
After Raheem Sterling completed a superb counterattack against his former employer, Rodri must be worried that his record of not losing a game against Manchester City since February 5, 2023 is under threat.
All of City’s defeats have come in Rodri’s absence, summing up his importance, losing five of the seven games their metronome has missed. Rodri showed incredible character and continued to push his team forward while the visitors continued to fight back. Sometimes it’s a battle of mentality and skill, with neither side willing to give in.
Chelsea are clearly worried about Rodri’s influence. Mauricio Pochettino has given Connor Gallagher the role of a would-be pickpocket, stalking his prey in front of the Manchester City penalty area in a desperate bid to keep his target quiet and pouncing on any potential loose balls. Whenever possession is passed backwards to Ederson, the goalkeeper’s first port of call is to check Rodri’s whereabouts because when he has half an inch of space he can turn and take City on, but Gallagher I’m always lurking to slow down and make progress.
While Manchester City have one full-time defensive midfielder, Chelsea need two if they can hope to stop the Premier League champions. Fernandez and Caicedo finally look like a partnership that could be central to Pochettino’s evolution. They complement each other. Caicedo is the one who reads danger and makes tackles when needed, although he stepped onto the dangerous tightrope after fouling Kevin De Bruyne in the first half, while Fernandez is the conductor of the orchestra. , raised his head to instigate a counterattack. Rodri has managed to do both for Manchester City.
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The ruthlessness of City’s machine put Chelsea in trouble in the second half. In the end, based on the dominance displayed by Manchester City, Chelsea was lucky enough to draw. Much of this comes from Rodri’s ability to keep the ball moving and move defenders around, wearing down the dark blue players. The Spaniard was able to find space on the pitch, provide options for his teammates and, most importantly, equalize with a goal that reminded people of his most important goal for the club in Istanbul last June.
Holding on to a draw would have done wonders for Chelsea’s mentality, and even if they needed a bit of luck, it was a worthy reward for their diligence, leaving them feeling physically exhausted at the final whistle. The Caicedo-Fernandez partnership is looking increasingly promising and there’s no shame in needing two men to do what Rodri offers City, as Saturday night was a reminder of the best in the world in this position. “We are not yet at the level of Manchester City, but that is our goal,” Pochettino said. They managed a draw within 90 minutes, but in the long term they could do worse than learning from Rodri.
