Analysis: Man City hold on but concern for Rodri

Manchester City knew they would claim ground on title rivals Liverpool - who lost again on Saturday - with a win and remain in touch with leaders Arsenal.

Three wins in their past four matches keeps Pep Guardiola's side firmly in the mix after two defeats in August - but he will still want City to punish their opponents when they are on top.

For all their dominance in possession, City could not find a second goal to put the game to bed and were at risk of once again suffering a late result-altering goal - as they did against Brighton and Arsenal in the league and Monaco earlier this week in the Champions League.

Tijjani Reijnders forced Caoimhin Kelleher into a good diving save when he struck well on the volley while Phil Foden dragged wide after some quick feet from Oscar Bobb, but they failed to build on that with no shots on target in the second half.

Guardiola will, however, be pleased his side were able to hold on in what felt a real slog.

The potential loss of Rodri is perhaps more of a concern for City, who know all too well how difficult life can be without him.

It is no coincidence that City's worst season under Guardiola came last year when Rodri was out with an ACL injury. However, since his return the Spaniard has struggled to get going with sporadic appearances and several further knocks.

This latest setback will create questions over whether Rodri will be able to hit the same heights he did in 2023-24, having featured just 15 times since then. He missed last week's match against Burnley because of knee pain.

Nico Gonzalez has deputised well at times but has not reached the level of City's talismanic midfielder at his best.