🦁 Premier League Player of the Week: Rodri who? | OneFootball

The Premier League returned this weekend with grounds across the country bathed in sunlight and Manchester City returning to their winning ways.

With that in mind, our Player of the Week is …

Mateo Kovačić (Manchester City)

“No chance.”

That was Pep Guardiola’s curt answer when asked whether Rodri would be available for Manchester City’s opener against Chelsea over the weekend.

The reigning champions had been handed what was, on paper, a tough assignment in their first game back in the Premier League.

And it was made even tougher by the coach’s assertion that their key man in the middle of the park would be out.

Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland all played their part in City’s fourth-consecutive title last time but it was the Spain international who stood ahead of everybody in 2023/24.

In fact, City didn’t win a single game in which Rodri didn’t feature last term with their previous away win without Rodri coming against Norwich in February 2022.

The task at Stamford Bridge then, looked like a relatively daunting one.

Yes, the west London side were in the midst of squad crisis having over 40 senior players on their books ahead of Sunday’s clash.

But in Enzo Maresca the Blues had a coach who had used pre-season to good effect, settling on a side that included the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Enzo Fernandez, Mosies Caicedo, Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia.

City meanwhile opted for a 3-2-4-1 with youngster Rico Lewis and former Chelsea man Mateo Kovačić at the base of the midfield.

It was a midfield battle between the academy graduate, returning hero and over £250m worth of talent.

And to the surprise of Chelsea owner Todd Boehly – who was seen leaving his seat with 10 minutes of the match to go –  but potentially no one else, it was City who won out.

Lewis was exceptional in his defensive duties and covered Nkunku’s channel perfectly, but our pick for Player of the Week is Kovačić.

The Croatia international was composure personified all afternoon, completing 95 per cent of his 66 passes, winning six duels and scoring possibly the goal of the weekend.

With the game entering its final few minutes, and City already leading 1-0, space was opening up with Chelsea pushing for an equaliser.

Kovačić, with all his tactical and positional knowhow, took full advantage of that.

Intercepting a poor pass from Wesley Fofana, Kovačić breezed past Caicedo with a three-year burst of pace.

The 30-year-old then took a touch and did the same to Enzo Fernandez.

Within sight of goal, the ex-Chelsea midfielder then opened up his body and instead of shooting into the far corner, wrapped his foot around the ball and curled an effort into the near post.

“This is my advice; when people doubt about something in the club, we are going to break it,” Pep said after the game.

“So, be careful… Listen, Rodri is massively important for us, but Kova is an experienced player, playing in the biggest stages.”

It was an astonishing goal that won City the three points and reminded everyone that Pep’s side have the depth to win the league again, even without Rodri.