Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge Debate Rodri’s Impact on Man City Ahead of Liverpool Clash
Sky Sports pundits Micah Richards and Daniel Sturridge engaged in a fiery debate during the Super Sunday coverage, analyzing how Rodri’s absence has influenced Manchester City’s performance this season.
The Ballon d’Or winner suffered an ACL injury in September’s Premier League clash against Arsenal, leaving City to grapple with his absence. Since then, the reigning champions have dropped points against Newcastle, Bournemouth, Brighton, and Tottenham in the league, while winning just two of their four Champions League fixtures.
Speaking before City’s high-stakes clash against Liverpool at Anfield, Richards emphasized the magnitude of Rodri’s influence on City, comparing it to Liverpool’s struggles without Virgil van Dijk in 2020.
“I want to talk about Rodri,” Richards began on Sky Sports. “We talk about Man City, the team, and how they’re structured—Rodri is the driving force that allows them to do what they do. He’s the best player in Europe. Just look at their record when he plays and when he doesn’t. It’s staggering.
“If you take [Mohamed] Salah or Van Dijk out of Liverpool, they’re going to struggle. You’ve seen Arsenal without [Martin] Odegaard—he comes back, and they’re a better team.
“I’m not saying the problem is just Rodri. I’m saying the effect he has on the rest of the team. I don’t think Man City get any grace when they lose a top player. Kevin De Bruyne has been out, Foden has been struggling, Grealish has been out as well. I’m not making excuses, but we can all see the importance of Rodri with our own eyes.”
Sturridge, however, pushed back, challenging the narrative. “Hold on, hold on,” he interjected. “We know that, but at the same time, now you have to deal with it. The reality of it is—what’s the solution? I said the solution: John Stones, [Manuel] Akanji.”
Richards fired back, using Liverpool’s past as an example: “What happened when Van Dijk got injured?”
Sturridge countered, “You’re bringing up [another] team! It’s irrelevant. We’re talking about Manchester City.”
Richards stood firm: “I’m saying with Van Dijk, when he got injured for Liverpool, they were a shadow of a team. That’s fact. That’s not opinion. Man City, without Rodri, are a shadow of a team.”
The heated exchange highlighted the undeniable impact of Rodri’s absence on Pep Guardiola’s side, as City continues to struggle to regain their dominance.
