Haaland's Joy, Rodri's Sorrow, and Manchester City's Doubts

LONDON, SUNDAY — The victory over the bottom team, Brentford, in the English Premier League feels very complex for Manchester City. They can once again celebrate the dominance of their star striker, Erling Haaland, but must come to terms with the reality of a new injury to their reliable midfielder, Rodri.

Haaland's goal-scoring streak continued at Brentford's home ground, Gtech Community Stadium, London, on Sunday (5/10/2025) WIB. He scored his 9th goal in the Premier League this season against Brentford. The early goal was enough to secure a 1-0 victory for City, managed by Pep Guardiola, as they returned home with three points.

Haaland is truly like an unstoppable locomotive. The two center-backs of Brentford, Sepp van den Berg and Nathan Collins, witnessed his sharpness firsthand. Van den Berg was knocked back when he collided with Haaland, while Collins was outpaced in his attempt to block the ball.

The two home players were powerless as they witnessed Haaland's individual performance, which combined physical strength, dribbling speed, and top-notch finishing. "For me, this goal is class. It is one of the best goals due to the various processes that occurred," said Haaland.

Haaland has successfully scored in nine consecutive matches for both his club and the Norwegian national team. Undoubtedly, he is one of the hottest strikers in Europe at the moment. Haaland appears to be happy to have recovered from last season's setbacks and to have reached his best form this season.

According to Haaland, his role as a new father has influenced his performance. "I have never felt better than I do now. With the presence of a child, everything is better for me. I can go home more relaxed, not worrying about this and that regarding football," he stated.

While Haaland was enjoying himself both on and off the field, the situation was quite the opposite for Rodri. The Ballon d'Or-winning midfielder sat on the field with a troubled expression just about 20 minutes into the match. Rodri shook his head after realizing he could not continue the game.

Rodri suffered a muscle injury in the thigh area. This injury is his second minor injury following knee surgery last year. The player had just been absent due to ongoing knee issues at the beginning of this season and had not yet returned to his best form, only to experience another setback due to a new injury.

The loss of Rodri has triggered a sense of trauma for City. In the UEFA Champions League match earlier this week against AS Monaco, they had to settle for a draw after conceding a penalty goal at the end of the match. The player who committed the foul leading to the penalty was Nico Gonzalez, who replaced Rodri.

"I remember during the press conference someone asked why I replaced Rodri (in that match). I would certainly be happy if I could play Rodri fully every three days, but we cannot force his condition. We have been careful, but that is what happened (he got injured again)," said Guardiola.

Gonzalez is quite reliable as a defensive midfielder. However, his level is still far behind that of Rodri, who is the brain of City's game during the Guardiola era. The most fundamental difference lies in game control, both in bridging attacks and disrupting the opponent's transitions.

The issue was felt by City at Brentford's home ground after Rodri's substitution, particularly in the second half. The visiting team lost control. After bombarding the opponent with five shots in the first 20 minutes, Haaland and his teammates could only register one shot in the second 45 minutes.

The city also nearly missed an opportunity during the transition to a counterattack just a few minutes after the break. Fortunately, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was able to thwart the home striker Igor Thiago's attempt in a one-on-one situation.

According to Brentford Manager Keith Andrews, the difference lies solely in efficiency in front of goal. "If we look at the overall match, one team made very good use of their chances. We were not sharp, even though we managed to create chaos and made them uncomfortable in the second half," he stated.

Guardiola estimates that Rodri is likely to be sidelined for about three weeks. The impact on City will be somewhat mitigated due to the recovery time coinciding with the international break. The player is expected to miss only three or four matches from mid to late October.

The issue is that Guardiola will certainly be more cautious with Rodri. The midfielder is likely to play more frequently from the bench after his recovery. "I do not want to lose him at all. He is a very important player," said Guardiola.

Such caution has the potential to disrupt the stability of City. "The Citizens" are still in a transitional phase of a new era. The presence of Rodri is crucial in maintaining that balance. It is evident that when the 29-year-old player has been performing regularly lately, City has begun to experience a series of positive results.

Rodri's injury has caused City to lose their footing once again. The consistency of Guardiola's team has become a significant question mark following the international break. Indeed, last season, there was no City player more important and more attuned to Guardiola's system than Rodri. (AP/REUTERS)