Manchester City may have continued their perfect start to the Premier League season, but there were lessons to be learnt from the win over Nottingham Forest. Rodri’s red card is one such lesson to be learnt for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Up 2-nil at half-time and cruising against Nottingham Forest, Rodri’s moment of madness changed the game. Inexplicably City’s midfield general got sucked into a confrontation with Morgan Gibbs-White. The midfielder would see red for his reaction to Gibbs-White in the ensuing scuffle. People can debate Gibbs-White reaction, but Rodri shouldn’t have found himself in that situation in the first place.
What should have been a comfortable City win, became a test of the champion’s resolve. Rodri’s teammates dug in, and the champions kept their clean sheet and winning streak alive. The midfielder would be a relieved man as the treble winners expertly navigated a tough situation.
Going forward there are lessons to be learnt from Pep Guardiola’s side. Nottingham Forest was at City from kickoff, and Anthony Taylor’s reluctance to book players for challenges led to a spiteful clash between the two sides.
The majority of City’s players did well not to react. Besides Rodri’s red card, most of his teammates kept their cool. Ederson was booked for a separate scuffle with Taiwo Awoniyi not long after Rodri’s red.
Manchester City would do well in future to walk away from such confrontations. Teams will come at the treble winners as they have a target on their back. The champions are the biggest scalp in the English and European games. They will now pay the price for Rodri’s moment of madness. He will miss the next 3 games for the European champions.
Rodri and City will learn the lesson, they should expect more physical tests on the horizon.
