Nico Gonzalez has paid off gamble to vindicate critical Man City call
Nico Gonzalez, a midfielder for Manchester City, has helped the Blues move past what was starting to bother Pep Guardiola.
Just over a month has passed since Manchester City arrived in Villarreal for their third Champions League match of the year, and they had to find a Rodri replacement once more. The Ballon d’Or winner wasn’t healthy enough to be in the matchday squad, but he was being honored with a plaque outside his old team’s stadium and had media obligations.
Nico Gonzalez, who was still trying to establish himself as a potential star for City, came forward. Gonzalez had witnessed Rodri shine in their 2-0 victory over Napoli to begin their European season. At the time, Rodri’s performance in his second game in five days was being discussed.
A few weeks later, Gonzalez had taken Rodri’s position in Monaco, but after giving up a late penalty that let the home club tie the score, Erling Haaland became so enraged that he walked off the field. Although the penalty appeared severe, it contributed to the narrative that has persisted for more than a year—that City is lacking a key component for success in the absence of Rodri.
Four days later, Rodri’s name appeared on the Brentford squad sheet. However, in the twentieth minute, he sustained a hamstring injury, forcing Gonzalez to run onto the field. At that point, City was compelled to take Gonzalez and deploy Rodri with greater caution.
The January addition to City has started seven of the last eight games, and if he hadn’t been forced out of the Aston Villa match due to a horrific blow in Villarreal, he might have had a clean sweep. Gonzalez has truly established himself; therefore, it did not appear to be a coincidence that City’s midfield did not look the same at Villa Park as it has in previous games.
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He might not be Rodri, and City might not yet have a squad that can defeat everyone. Their loss to Newcastle on Saturday demonstrated that they are still vulnerable. But during the past month, Pep Guardiola’s club has shifted their attention away from Rodri, and only because Gonzalez has improved and thrived with the increased responsibilities.
When Rodri recovers, City will still be a better club, and there is a case to play him with Gonzalez. However, one of the main issues from the previous season’s setbacks that seemed certain to affect this campaign now seems to be much less of a problem. If City defeats Leverkusen on Tuesday night and finishes in the top 24 with three games left, it will also be much easier for them to move up in the Champions League.
