Manchester City star Rodri has insisted that he cannot win matches on his own like Lionel Messi. He wants his teammates to step up and deliver after Pep Guardiola’s side lost 2-1 to Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Sunday, August 31.
Erling Haaland gave Manchester City a lead in the first half after reacting quickly to slot in from close range. The Cityzens had control of the game, but a penalty gave Brighton the chance to level things up. James Milner stepped up to slot it in before 21-year-old Brajan Gruda sealed the win with a minute left in the game.
Speaking after the match, Rodri insisted that he cannot win matches on his own, after making his return to the team on Sunday. He added that the players shot step up and deliver and said (via BBC):
“I’m not Messi. I’m not going to come back and just make the team win and win, this is a collective. When we won in the past I needed all my teammates. For sure I need to recover my best level and we have to look to all of ourselves, it is a collective sport. Hopefully after the break we can be much better.”
When questioned about what fans might think of the team after two defeats in a row in the league, Rodri added:
“To be honest I don’t care. The people can think whatever they want. We just have to work hard and focus on us and let’s talk at the end of the season.”
Manchester City won their Premier League season opener 4-0 against Wolverhampton. They lost 2-0 at home to Tottenham last week, and have now lost 2-1 to Brighton & Hove Albion.
Pep Guardiola wanted me to be Lionel Messi, claims former Manchester City star
Leroy Sane spoke about Pep Guardiola’s demands at Manchester City and admitted that the manager wanted him to be their Lionel Messi. He claimed that the manager gave him the freedom to express himself on the pitch and told The Guardian:
“I needed a little time to settle, to know the Premier League, the people here, how they are and to know the players. I had to find my confidence. Pep told me to play with freedom like [Lionel] Messi, not like Messi – it’s impossible. Be free like Messi, have fun, do things like he wants from a striker like the end of the space [near goal] – take the option to shoot or give an assist.”
Leroy Sane played 135 matches under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City. He scored 39 goals and assisted 44 times for the Cityzens before leaving the club for Bayern Munich in 2020.
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Edited by Sripad
