2025-09-01 11:13:40
Rodri hit out at Manchester City for making “kids’ mistakes” as they slipped to defeat against Brighton.
City lost 2-1 to the Seagulls on Sunday (31.08.25) in their second defeat from three games in the Premier League so far this season and the Spanish midfielder issued a damning assessment of what went wrong for the team as they surrendered the lead in the second half.
Rodri said: “Some of the mistakes we are doing are kids’ mistakes, you are not concentrating and paying attention. The reality is that we have to raise the level if we want to compete.
“It’s a matter of the team, changes, new players have to adapt, and when you change the team that much, it is difficult. This is our reality, it’s not excuses.”
Rodri made his first Premier League start for City in 11 months during the game after suffering a serious anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury last year but doesn’t think his return alone can inspire the club to “win and win”.
He said: “I’m not (Lionel) Messi. I’m not going to come back and make the team win and win. This is a collective; when we won in the past, I needed all my team-mates.
“For sure I have to recover and find my best level. It’s not because I’m back we’re going to win. It’s a collective sport. Hopefully after the break we can come back much better.”
City manager Pep Guardiola lamented how his team “stopped playing” in the closing stages of the match.
He said: “We were excellent for one hour. After the goal we forgot to play. We were thinking of the consequences.
“I like many, many things we are doing. Like against Tottenham, we started well. I like many things the team has done here today but we were unable to win. When we conceded the goal we stopped playing.”
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