Manchester City play maker Kalvin De Bruyne has finally reacted after being Benched by Pep Guardiola in yesterdays match

The player who scored in Istanbul and earned that chant (on top of the Champions League final and the Treble) has struggled to live up to the superhuman standards he has set this season. The Spaniard has missed four games this season due to suspension and has looked leggy in others as Pep Guardiola still cannot see Kalvin Phillips in his team; as recently as Wednesday, Rodri had recovered from a bad knock in the Club World Cup final to start at Goodison Park, but he appeared knackered and uncharacteristically gave the ball away for Everton’s goal.

The man for Manchester City’s grandest event hasn’t lost his sense of occasion, and it was fitting that it was Rodri who moved forward confidently after Phil Foden’s touch had dropped to him and leathered in the opening goal. What a player, what a squad, what a year.

Those who follow City on a regular basis will be aware of how fantastic Rodri has been for so long, and any assertions that Declan Rice is better are still ridiculous – remember a year ago when Casemiro was getting rave reviews?! – when pitted against someone who has been so vital to incredible success. However, Blues will know from this season that a 1-0 lead at the Etihad is no more the automatic three points that it was for much of Guardiola’s time here.

Fortunately for the vast majority of people inside the stadium, this was one of those days when City controlled from beginning to end. Sheffield United’s chances of coming back into the game were thwarted by a professional second-half performance that saw Julian Alvarez score his 12th goal of the season.

The club intended for this game to be a celebration of a momentous year, with the match programme cover depicting some famous 2023 events and all five trophies placed on the pitch prior to kick-off. Kevin De Bruyne received a standing ovation simply for jogging out of his seat to warm up in the second half, demonstrating how much he has been missed and how much excitement there is about what he can offer in the second half of the season alongside Rodri.

The crowd was able to give tribute to the players after City saw 86% of the ball in the first 30 minutes and broke the deadlock due to Rodri’s goal. “Champions again, ole ole” was heard in all four stands and rang out for more than a minute.

Guardiola was booked for arguing to the fourth official after an apparent foul on Bernardo Silva on the edge of the box was not given. They didn’t let it bother them, unlike in previous games at this stadium.

Oscar Bobb gave the game a boost after replacing a (maybe unsurprisingly) depressed Jack Grealish for the final 40 minutes, playing a spectacular pass through three opponents to Foden in the box on the hour mark for Alvarez to double the lead. Another minute later, the Argentine superbly charged down custodian Wes Foderingham, only to have the ball narrowly clear the crossbar.

With the result secured, City could easily knock the ball around for another simple win in a fantastic year. This was the 25th victory at the Etihad in the previous 12 months, with three draws against Liverpool, Spurs, and Palace marring what would have been an unbelievable flawless record but preserving the Blues’ unblemished home record since November 2022.

It also moves them within two points of the top of the Premier League table, with them ahead of Arsenal on goal difference ahead of their trip to Fulham on Sunday. The reigning champions may have gone to the Middle East to win the Club World Cup last week, but they have already made it clear upon their return that they will not be removed from the Premier League title chase.

A clean sheet, the first in nine league games for either of Guardiola’s teams, will only serve to bolster that claim. If City can start tightening up at the back, their opponents will have to start fretting.

January should also be kind to the Blues in terms of injuries, with only one league game – away at Newcastle in the middle of the month – meaning plenty of time for Erling Haaland, Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones, and Jeremy Doku to get back into shape before the crucial part of the season. When you add three of the best players in the world to the mix, City become an entirely different prospect.

Rodri makes it four, and he will be crucial to City’s prospects of repeating as champions. The Spaniard requires more protection than he received last season if he is to perform at his best, but he finished the year as the league’s top midfielder.

City will be hoping that by the end of the season, people are still talking about him.