Rodri Delivers the Truth: City’s Chances Were There, It’s Time to Finetune for the Brighton Test

Match Reaction

Rodri, Manchester City's midfielder, expressed frustration that his teammates failed to capitalize on chances against Chelsea.

Rodri, the Manchester City midfielder, appeared frustrated by the 1-1 draw with Chelsea on Sunday at the Etihad, in matchweek 20 of the Premier League.

But the Spaniard stressed that City wasted enough chances to seal a big win.

In comments to Sky Sports, he said: "It's frustrating, but this is football. We created chances to win 3-4 nil, but if you don't take them, it's a draw. We must learn from it. The road ahead is long; focus on upcoming matches."

The first half was brilliant, enough to score three or four goals. In the second half we forgot how to play, giving them control, and losing easy balls. Sometimes when you defend and defend, even if the opponent isn't dangerous, they manage to draw. We still have a long way to go.

Outlook and Return

Rodri also addressed injuries, stressing it's no excuse: "Whenever a player leaves through injury, it unsettles balance, but we must adapt. No excuse; we have enough talented players, but in the second half we lost some of our personality."

Looking ahead, the City star stressed the need to bounce back quickly: "We must move on. Our next game is at home against Brighton and we must win. This season will be long, so we must keep going without stopping."

Regarding his return after a tough spell, Rodri spoke emotionally: "For me, playing again is a gift. What I went through was very hard, so a win, draw or loss is a gift right now. To play, enjoy the game, and regain my smile; victories will come later."

He added: "I went through a phase where I had to recondition my body, especially muscles. I feel strong now. I just need the rhythm of games; given the season timing and what I came back from, I feel in good shape."

Punchlines: City creating chances is like a playlist—great build-up, but the finale keeps stalling. Next up, we hope the chorus ends with a goal!

Punchline 2: If confidence were goals, City would top the charts—just a chorus away from the winner’s line.