Guardiola 'has the hunger to win again', says Man City star Rodri

By Sports Desk July 25, 2023

Manchester City star Rodri says Pep Guardiola remains desperate to achieve even more success with the club.

Rodri scored the winner in June as City beat Inter 1-0 to win the Champions League for the first time in their history.

That victory in Istanbul secured a treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, making City only the second team – after the Manchester United side of the 1998-99 season – to achieve that feat.

City have now won five Premier League titles under Guardiola, having been champions for the last three campaigns, while they have won the FA Cup twice and the EFL Cup on four occasions.

Yet the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach remains hungry for more, so says Rodri.

When asked if Guardiola was the 'GOAT' manager, Rodri said: "I don't know. Of course, that's a question you have to ask people, what do you think about that?

"What we know is, he's been one of the greatest, for sure, and he's shown [that] everywhere he's been. And he has the hunger to go again.

"That's what can I say about him. He wants to win more things in the next year.

"So it's very, very good for us because this hunger is important for us to win again."

Indeed, City expect to reach a similar level of success next term, which for them starts on August 6, when they take on Arsenal in the Community Shield at Wembley Stadium.

"To repeat it," Rodri said when asked what City's aims were for the coming season.

"When you start a season, we always want to win everything. It was one of the most iconic successes of the club in its history. We are very, very proud of what we did.

"But we know that a new season is coming with new goals. We expect to do it again, even though we know it's going to be very, very difficult.

"We start from the pre-season, from the first game to make the team go again and to reach the best level."

Arsenal led the way for long swathes of last season, but Guardiola's juggernaut picked up pace in the run-in and eventually finished five points clear of the Gunners.

"The last part of the season is when you fight for all the titles so that is when you have to show the best football you've got inside and it's something we know from the past," explained Rodri.

"We have the experience and know how to win the trophies in the last part and we know that you have to be the best of yourself. So that's the key.

"Arrive to this moment with options to fight and then give the best and to step forward and I think it's something that the team has understood. 

"It's one of the things that identifies the mentality of the team all these years."

Erling Haaland's incredible form was crucial to City's success. The Norway striker netted a Premier League-record 36 goals, and added a further 16 across other competitions, including 12 in the Champions League.

Indeed, one of the only single-season records left for Haaland to break in English football is Dixie Dean's incredible haul of 63 goals, which has stood since the 1927-28 campaign.

"I want [him] to [break more records], of course," Rodri said of the 23-year-old.

"I hope he can break the record every year, even though I know what he did last season was unbelievable.

"He's become such an important player for us and he's growing a lot. I hope that he can be even better."

Related items

  • Al-Khaleej 0-1 Al-Nassr: Ronaldo misfires on return as Laporte nets winner Al-Khaleej 0-1 Al-Nassr: Ronaldo misfires on return as Laporte nets winner

    Cristiano Ronaldo returned from suspension but failed to find the net as Al-Nassr secured a 1-0 win over Al-Khaleej on Saturday, with Aymeric Laporte coming up with the decisive goal. 

    Ronaldo was in action for the first time since being sent off for an elbow in a 2-1 Saudi Super Cup loss to Al-Hilal earlier this month, with his initial two-match ban being reduced to one on appeal.

    He missed three good chances as Al-Nassr threatened to fall further behind runaway Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal, but former Manchester City defender Laporte spared his blushes by nodding Marcelo Brozovic's deep free-kick into the bottom-left corner with 68 minutes gone.

    Al-Nassr remain nine points adrift of Al-Hilal at the summit in spite of their win, with Jorge Jesus' team unbeaten through 28 games this season as they close in on a record-extending 18th title.

    Data Debrief: Ronaldo misfires on return

    Ronaldo was presented with the Saudi Pro League's Player of the Month award for March ahead of kick-off, having scored four goals in three league appearances last month.

    However, his sights were off on Saturday as he failed to net despite three of the visitors' four big chances, as defined by Opta, falling his way. He led all players on the pitch for expected goals (1.27 xG), shots (five), shots on target (three) and touches in the area (nine) without reward. 

  • Everton 1-0 Brentford: Toffees join Bees in ensuring Premier League status Everton 1-0 Brentford: Toffees join Bees in ensuring Premier League status

    Everton made mathematically certain of remaining in the Premier League on Saturday as Idrissa Gueye's goal handed them a 1-0 home win over Brentford, who are also safe after Luton Town's earlier loss to Wolves.

    Luton's 2-1 defeat at Molineux meant Brentford's slim fears of relegation were behind them before kick-off, while Everton knew a third straight victory would also secure their place in the top flight for next season.

    The Toffees' old wastefulness was on show in the first half, but Gueye powered home 15 minutes into the second period to hand them a third Goodison Park triumph in the space of six days.

    The result saw Sean Dyche's men climb above their visitors to go 15th in the table, one place and point clear of Brentford, who can also plan ahead for 2024-25 in the top flight after pulling clear of danger.

    Everton were without Dominic Calvert-Lewin through illness and Beto due to the head injury he suffered against Nottingham Forest. Their absences were felt when the first chance fell their way after six minutes, Youssef Chermiti failing to get a touch on McNeil's tempting cross.

    Mathias Jensen had Brentford's first sight of goal 20 minutes in following good work from Vitaly Janelt, but in-form defender Jarrad Branthwaite denied him with a huge block.

    The best opportunity of a low-key opening period, though, fell to Abdoulaye Doucoure, who sent an awkward volley spinning well wide after finding space on the stroke of half-time.

    Brentford should have gone ahead within five minutes of the restart, but Jordan Pickford brilliantly smothered Ivan Toney's shot when his England team-mate looked destined to tap home at the far post.

    McNeil then rattled the crossbar from range as Everton turned up the pressure, and they made the breakthrough on the hour.

    Gueye fired into the top-left corner after Brentford failed to clear following a goalmouth scramble, with the goal confirmed by VAR amid questions about a subjective offside.

    Keane Lewis-Potter worked Pickford from the edge of the box, but that was as close as Thomas Frank's men came to an equaliser, and Everton almost had a second when James Garner's free-kick struck the bar in stoppage time.

    Everton rescue act complete

    When Everton welcomed Burnley to Goodison Park on April 6th, they remained in severe danger of seeing a chastening campaign end in relegation.

    However, a run of four wins in five games – the most memorable being Wednesday's 2-0 triumph over Merseyside rivals Liverpool – has dragged the Toffees clear and ensured there will be no repeat of last year, when they remained at the highest level by the skin of the teeth on a nervy final day.

    Having earned their first win of the campaign against Brentford back in September, Everton have also done the double over the Bees for just the second time, previously beating them home and away in the second tier back in 1952-53.

    Toney struggles continue

    While Brentford had enjoyed a resurgence of their own prior to Saturday's game, beating Sheffield United 2-0 and Luton 5-1 in their last two matches, both of those victories came without injured striker Toney.

    He returned to the Bees' lineup here but was uncharacteristically quiet, failing to beat Pickford when presented with the visitors' best chance shortly after half-time.

    Toney has now failed to score in his last eight Premier League matches, his longest ever run without a goal in the competition. With Ollie Watkins and Dominic Solanke in fine form as Gareth Southgate prepares to name his England squad for Euro 2024, his barren spell has come at a poor time. 

  • ‘Too many draws have cost us’ – De Zerbi ‘Too many draws have cost us’ – De Zerbi

    Roberto De Zerbi has highlighted too many draws as Brighton’s problem this season while looking ahead to their trip to Bournemouth on Sunday.

    The Seagulls suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat to title-hopefuls Manchester City on Thursday, extending their winless run to five games.

    Despite sitting in 12th, Brighton still have an outside chance of getting a European place next season, though they would have to win all five of their remaining matches against teams above them in the table.

    Asked how his side will approach a tough fixture list at the end of the season, De Zerbi said: “It’s not a good thing we’re playing teams above us. We should be better. Chelsea and Bournemouth are very close with us, and we have the chance to win the game and fight to reach the highest position we can.

    “We’ve had too many draws. For sure we can lose 11 games in this moment, but we could win more games. Sometimes I think what I could do better to win more games, but it’s tough because we drew a lot, shooting a lot of times on goal without scoring, especially at home.”

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.