Manchester City already had the ideal player to provide cover for Rodri | OneFootball

It appeared all summer that Manchester City would bring in a midfielder to provide cover for Rodri this season. That appeared to be City’s biggest need in the transfer market. But it has become apparent during the early stages of this season that City already had the ideal player to fill the role. Mateo Kovacic has shown during City’s first three games of the Premier League season that he is more than capable of stepping into Rodri’s shoes.

Mateo Kovacic was superb during Manchester City’s 2-nil win over Chelsea. He was good again before injury struck against Ipswich Town. But his display yesterday in City’s 3-1 win over West Ham may have been his best performance of the season. Kovacic was superb in the heart of the Manchester City midfield yesterday. Alongside Rico Lewis, he helped ensure that Pep Guardiola’s side dominated the midfield battle at the London Stadium.

What stood out in the performance of Kovacic was how composed he was both in and out of possession. Those are traits that Rodri adds to Manchester City’s midfield. Yesterday saw Kovacic provide this in spades for Pep Guardiola’s side. He was crucial to City’s first-half dominance at the London Stadium. The Croatian midfielder was also a calming influence in the Manchester City midfield when West Ham raised their game in the second half.

The statistics of Mateo Kovacic from yesterday’s game show just effective he was. As per Sofascore the Croatian midfielder completed 93/97 of his passes. Kovacic also won 5/7 of his ground duels as he was a force in midfield throughout City’s win. It was a complete performance in midfield from Kovacic. His display was a crucial factor in City’s win.

After searching for a midfielder to provide cover for Rodri it turns out Manchester City already had the perfect player for the role. Mateo Kovacic has shown he is the perfect player to fill Rodri’s shoes when necessary. He also adds his own attributes to the role to add something slightly different to one of the most vital roles in Pep Guardiola’s side.

Cover for Rodri is something that Manchester City didn’t have a season ago. They now have it with Mateo Kovacic. The benefits of this have been evident during the early stages of this season. It could also be a major asset for the champions throughout this season.