Pep Guardiola admits his Man City side missed the presence of Rodri in midfield as they slumped to a 2-1 defeat to Wolves.
Julian Alvarez had equalised after an own goal from Ruben Dias had given Wolves the lead but Hwang Hee-Chan struck in the second half to hand City their first Premier League defeat of the season.
Guardiola dismissed claims that City lost due to the referee’s performance – with match-winner Hwang perhaps lucky to remain on the pitch after a possible second bookable offence for a challenge on Kyle Walker.
The cause of defeat for Guardiola was ultimately down to his side’s uncharacteristic performance in defence.
“We did not defend properly. We can do more but even in the games we win we can do more,” he said.
“When you win four Carabaos in a row and five Premier Leagues in six years, this is not complacency. It’s a football game and your opponent can beat you- congratulations Wolves, they defended really well.
“We could not break through but it’s difficult because there’s 10 players there.”
Guardiola said the absence of Rodri also affected his side and admitted that Mateo Kovacic failed to fill the void left by his team-mate, explaining: “Rodri is an important player, we know it. We cannot count on him.
“Kovacic was fine. He was OK. Mateo is an exceptional player and it’s the first time he played in his position alone- in general, we were not at our best.”
Since Rodri’s Premier League debut in August 2019, City have lost 33 per cent of the top-flight matches they have played without the Spaniard, compared to just 7.5 per cent with him in their side.
He will also be absent from City’s trip to the Emirates next weekend as he continues to serve his suspension after picking up a straight red card against Nottingham Forest.
