Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola knows what the club want to do about Rodri’s future and thinks he knows what the player wants as well

Pep Guardiola believes that Rodri will snub serious interest from Real Madrid to commit his future to Manchester City. The midfielder is coveted by the Spanish giants and is yet to agree a contract extension at the Etihad as he approaches the final 12 months of his contract.

Rodri talked up Real as a club in an extensive interview given over the last fortnight, admitting that it was hard to resist the pull of La Liga. But he also referred to the Premier League as his ‘weakness’ when discussing his future and knows the support that he has had at City not just to help him to become the best midfielder in world football but also to build him back up after his ACL injury in September 2024.

“I know what the club wants. They informed me what they want from Rodri – it is to stay, stay, stay,” said Guardiola. Asked if Rodri wanted that, the City boss replied: “I think so. Always I had the positive [feeling] with that but at the end I don’t know.”

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Keeping Rodri would be a major boost for the club as they look to show that they can continue their success – especially with doubts persisting over whether Guardiola will see out his contract. The January signings of Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo were seen as positive steps for recruitment in the post-Guardiola era and getting even more from Rodri would be further evidence.

City know that they have to be prepared for all outcomes though, and if Rodri decides that he does want to leave he will not be given any special treatment. If he can provide an acceptable offer from another club, he will be allowed to go.

“The organisation of the club is above all of us – if one player is not happy they have to leave,” said Guardiola. “Continue the same always if they are happy – and I think he is happy – if he is not happy just knock on the door of the sporting director, accept an offer according to his incredible quality and after that he don’t belong to the club – only himself.”

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Rodri spoke during the international break about his interest in perhaps playing for Real Madrid one day, sparking debate over his Manchester City future.

Rodri fanned the flames of a potential Manchester City transfer exit during the international break when he gave an interview in Spain about being open to the prospect of one day playing for Real Madrid.

The midfielder has 18 months to run on his current City deal and there remains a degree of uncertainty as to whether he will extend his stay at the Etihad. Pep Guardiola was asked about the situation in his press conference on Friday and reiterated the club stance is that they want the 29-year-old to commit his future to the Blues.

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The decision will come down to Rodri himself, with City never a club to stand in the way of a player who wants to leave. And it all adds up to an unknown situation that will need to be resolved soon.

So what exactly does it all mean for City and Rodri? Our City experts Simon Bajkowski and Alex James dissected the topic on the latest Talking City podcast.

“I don’t think Rodri’s comments change anything in that Real Madrid will still want him as they have wanted him for ages,” said Bajkowski. “And Rodri will be fully aware of that and will never in an interview shut the door on a return to Spain, ahead of a World Cup in the summer as well when he is going to be representing Spain.

“At the same time, he is in an uncertain position because nobody is sure whether he is going to renew at City or not.

“I think it (a scenario where he is sold in the summer) exists. They have to be open to it. Obviously Rodri doesn’t owe them anything but I think the club feel that they gave him such support first and foremost for the Ballon d’Or. They treated him like an absolute king at a time when the biggest club in the world (Real Madrid) was doing everything to denigrate it and say it wasn’t a proper Ballon d’Or. City treated Rodri royally. And also through his injury, they have helped and supported him. I feel like this season they have listened to Rodri (on his fitness).

“If he wants to go this summer he will go but if he does, the club would like to think they would get a fee that reflects the player that he is and will be next season and beyond, but also the support that they have given him over the last few years.”

The decision could also hinge on what happens with the future of Guardiola, who has a deal until the summer of 2027 but has yet to fully commit to continuing past this season, and Bernardo Silva who is set to depart when his contract expires in June.

“Losing Bernardo Silva and Rodri, and I appreciate they are not what they were and might not be again, but that would be a vacuum of talent, experience, know-how, experience and leadership,” said City writer James. “Loads of things that are very difficult to replace.

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“They would have to go and sign somebody, and they may well go and sign Elliot Anderson and they might sign someone else instead or as well, but it would be a big gamble to lose Rodri and Bernardo in the same summer.

“Rodri has started to look back to somewhere near his best. He looks back in a rhythm, is dictating play a bit more. And a lot of this will have to do with Pep, that has to be factored in and there might be an answer on that yet.”

Manchester City midfielder Rodri should stop playing dumb but knows what he can expect at the Etihad

06:01, 01 Apr 2026

For the second time in a month, Rodri finds himself as the hapless victim to a vicious media who go out of their way to make stories about him. All he does is give them his time and his answers and they have the audacity to broadcast exactly what he has said to the world.

To say that Rodri is an intelligent man, the Manchester City midfielder is being deliberately ignorant again as he picks an easy target. Just like his FA charge, trying to blame the media for reporting exactly what was said only works because everyone would rather blame ‘the media’ – this homogenous entity that doesn’t really exist.

Rodri has been brought up in Spain and knows that if he gives an interview to Spanish media and is generally flattering about Real Madrid and wanting to return to La Liga at some point that these will be the headlines. It’s not rocket science, and it’s not unfair.

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It would do down Rodri’s intelligence to suggest that he didn’t know this – just look at how Pep Guardiola treats questions from Spanish media whenever City play Real in the Champions League. What isn’t known is why Rodri said what he said.

A big part of it is simply that it is the truth. From David Silva to Nolito, at some point basically all of the players City have signed from Spain have gone back there because it is a league and a country where they are more comfortable. As Bernardo Silva said recently, Manchester really doesn’t have the climate to make players from sunnier countries want to stay forever and it is a testament to what City have built that they are able to hang on to these players for so long.

At some point Rodri will undoubtedly go back to La Liga, and it will quite possible be to Real – not just because he has been coveted there for a long time but because they are one of the Spanish superpowers and a player as good as Rodri wants to be playing for the best teams.

It’s just that City fans don’t want to think about it, not least because of the support they have given Rodri through his injury over the last two years but also with the Ballon d’Or when Real essentially made a massive, public show of disrespect to the player by boycotting the famous ceremony for the simple reason that it was the City player winning it rather than Vinicius Jr.

Rodri has given City fans some of the best moments of their lives so he certainly doesn’t owe anybody anything, but while it will hurt to lose him at whichever point he goes there are some ways that are more painful than others. Seeing him go to Real in summer when he is just starting to return to his best form would be tough to take for many in Manchester.

A player has to think of themselves first and foremost, yet the concerning reality for Rodri is that he doesn’t quite know what he thinks or where he is at. Two years ago every club going would have offered him anything he asked for, yet after an injury that wiped out 18 months of his career a player who will turn 30 at this summer’s World Cup is yet to discover what his new peak will be.

City are willing to commit to that in terms of a new contract, but after so much frustration over the last few years Rodri has to be sure in himself and then decide on his path. He brought up in the interview last week that the Premier League is his ‘weakness’ but did also mention the demands it places on players that are more testing than any other league – including Spain.

Rodri is still finding his feet in a landscape that has changed since he was untouchable, and his interview over the last week won’t change anything about his long-term future. When he turns up to face Liverpool on Saturday with City, he can expect the same, excellent reaction from City fans that he always gets – either because the dust has settled or his silly blaming of the media has worked.

City have managed to keep Spain’s best talents away from their home country as often as they have because of how royally the club and supporters treat them. That will remain the case with Rodri until the moment he is finally lured back to La Liga.

Manchester City have regenerated their squad in the past 18 months and decisions now loom on four senior players

Manchester City’s squad evolution gathered pace last weekend as the Blues won their first trophy since the 2024 Premier League title when they beat Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final.

While the silverware absence was not even two years, the Wembley win reaffirmed the trajectory this squad is on after a trophyless 2024-25 campaign.

City have a plethora of emerging talent alongside a core of experience and while there remain questions over Pep Guardiola’s future beyond the summer, the playing squad is in good shape.

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This summer will likely see the departure of two long-serving City players in John Stones and Bernardo Silva when their contracts expire. Skipper Bernardo said earlier in the campaign that he already knew what the future holds and there is little to suggest he will pen fresh terms at the Etihad even though Guardiola would happily hand a new deal to a player he values so highly.

For Stones, it’s injuries that look set to preclude a new City contract. The defender has suffered with fitness issues this term and pulled out of the England squad this week with a groin problem. Guardiola has spoken of how a decision on Stones would need to take into account what he has shown over the last two years and sadly for the centre-back, injury has prevented him from showing too much.

The departures of Stones and Silva would see a huge amount of experience leaving the building but City are in a position to cope with both exits. A summer transfer move for a new midfielder, with Elliott Anderson at Nottingham Forest of interest, would certainly help offset the departure of Silva, while Abdukodir Khusanov, Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias mitigate the loss of Stones.

It’s what might happen with two more City stalwarts that will carry plenty of intrigue over the coming months and potentially impact the Blues’ summer transfer plans.

Rodri and Phil Foden both see their contracts expire in 2027 and just now it’s difficult to confidently predict both will be here past that date.

Rodri spoke of his admiration for La Liga and Real Madrid this week, and while he then suggested people listen to the entire interview before jumping to conclusions, it’s difficult to ignore the prospect of Real signing the midfielder.

The 29-year-old is beginning to show his best again having suffered a serious knee injury and a couple of setbacks. Guardiola doesn’t feel his star man will be back to full throttle until this summer’s World Cup but City and Rodri will need to make a decision on whether a new deal is offered sooner rather than later.

City will not stand in any player’s way if they do want to depart, and would potentially rather obtain a fee for Rodri this summer rather than risk losing him on a free transfer in 18 months.

The same would be true of Foden, although his future is more likely to be at City than not. The 25-year-old has struggled for form in recent months but remains a player capable of being among the best in the country and the hope at the Etihad is that he can return to the peak of his powers.

A probable World Cup and the uncertainty surrounding Guardiola’s future will play a part in any contract talks over the next few months but the feeling is club and player will come to an agreement for the boyhood Blue to extend his Etihad contract.

City’s summer transfer business will offer a further indication as to what the future holds as we wait for answers.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri admits he would find it difficult to turn down a move to Real Madrid.

The 29-year-old has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the world during his time at City, helping Pep Guardiola’s side win 11 major trophies including four Premier League titles and the Champions League.

Rodri suffered a cruciate ligament injury in September 2024 and completed just two Premier League games in 2025.

But since the New Year, the Spain international has played on a more consistent basis and delivered an impressive performance in City’s 2-0 win over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final last Sunday.

Rodri will have just a year remaining on his contract with City at the end of the season and in an interview with Spanish radio station Onda Cero on Wednesday evening, the midfielder made it clear that he would welcome a move to Madrid.

Asked if he would like to return to La Liga, Rodri replied: ‘I’d like to return, yes, obviously.

‘For me, La Liga is where I started. I still follow it, it’s true not as much as before, but I still follow it.

‘And I have to admit that the Premier League is my weakness. I think it’s a thrilling league but at the same time very demanding, meaning it pushes you to the limit. I’ve been there for seven years now, and I’m noticing the passage of time, but for the moment I’m very happy there.

‘I’m currently recovering from an injury, and what worries me right now is my feeling, my level, how to get back to my previous level. Not the contract issue, that will come, especially with a World Cup coming up, which is crucial for reaching my level.

‘Right now I’m free, well, obviously I have a year left on my contract, obviously there will be a point where we’ll have to sit down and talk, have a conversation.’

Asked if he would turn down a move to Real Madrid because he has already played for Atletico, Rodri replied: ‘No, I mean, there have been many players who have gone down that path, right? And especially not directly, but over time.

‘I mean, for me, you can’t turn down the best clubs in the world.

‘They have a fanbase that really goes all out for them, and for me, the Bernabeu is always incredible, a stadium that’s very imposing.’

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Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 in the League Cup final with Nico O’Reilly the best player on the pitch in a terrific team performance.

Manchester City won the Carabao Cup for the first time since 2021 with a 2-0 win over Arsenal. The Quadruple dreams are over for Mikel Arteta’s men as Pep Guardiola’s side give themselves a trophy and what they hope is a springboard for the Premier League and FA Cup this season.

Arsenal started strongly against a City side that had Ruben Dias ruled out of the game with injury, restricting the Blues to no shots on target in the opening 45 minutes despite having 60 per cent possession. But City grew into the game and turned the tables on Arsenal in the second half as they attacked the end in front of their own fans.

Two goals from Nico O’Reilly in front of England manager Thomas Tuchel gave City a lead that they did not give up and James Trafford was able to celebrate a clean sheet as well.

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Here are the player ratings from the Manchester Evening News:

Trafford: Made that triple save early on to calm City nerves and barely put a foot wrong in what has been an excellent tournament. 8

Nunes: Drew Guardiola’s ire on a number of occasions in the first half but grew into it and did very well for the second goal. 7

Khusanov: His pace got City out of trouble on a number of occasions and his no-nonsense defending was mostly to City’s benefit, even if he was booked. 7

Ake: A few jittery moments over the course of the game but he also did plenty to ease City nerves by keeping cool under pressure. 7

O’Reilly: Nearly a 10 in an outstanding performance that saw him keep Saka and then Madueke quite while scoring two goals. 9

Rodri: He was immense, always picking the right pass and making sure City never lost control for too long at any point. 8

Silva: Did what he does so well, keeping the game ticking apart from when it needs breaking up with those fouls that go under the radar. 7

Cherki: Anonymous for the first half hour but really stood up and showed that he wanted the ball, even showboating in the second half. 8

Semenyo: Saw plenty of the ball but it felt like he didn’t test Hincapie enough and he was uncharacteristically wasteful in front of goal. 6

Doku: Struggled as a lone out-ball early on, then started making better decisions and Arsenal couldn’t get the ball back. 8

Haaland: Pushed and shoved with the two centre-backs all game, came back to win possession and contributed despite not scoring. 7

Substitutes

Foden (for Cherki, 89): No time. N/A

Not used: Donnarumma, Ait-Nouri, Stones, Kovacic, Reijnders, Gonzalez, Marmoush, Savinho

This week’s Q&A takes a look at Manchester City’s plans for the summer transfer window with the transformation of the squad set to continue.

06:00, 13 Mar 2026

Manchester City looked to have put the disappointment of their 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest behind them as they produced a dominant display against Newcastle in the FA Cup last weekend. And then they travelled to Madrid.

A 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid leaves them needing a miracle in the second leg next week and before then they have another tough trip down to face West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday night. With so much going on at the club, we’ll be hosting weekly Q&A sessions with our chief City writer Simon Bajkowski.

The day of the week it comes out on may change depending on what City’s schedule looks like, but essentially this is your chance to get an answer on anything you want – simply pop your question here at any time of the week and Simon will pick them all up and wrap everything up in one place.

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This week we are looking at the summer transfer window as well as the state of play with some club greats. After three transfer windows that have transformed the squad, it looks like there will be more change ahead.

What are the potential signings Man City will make in the summer transfer window? Will we only have a midfielder and a right-back? Ali

What is the plan for this summer window mainly about Livramento, Elliot Anderson, winger situation and what is the future of Vitor Reis? Santanu Bhunia

These questions didn’t come in after the Champions League defeat to Real Madrid, but it feels like a natural place to start. After another mauling at the Bernabeu, let’s cheer ourselves up with some transfer talk about how the team could be better next season. That’s partly tongue in cheek, but we are getting towards the stage where City will want to be closing on exactly the summer business that they think they can do.

Elliot Anderson is a priority in a midfield that needs at least one more body in it. He won’t be cheap but has proven himself to be one of the most reliable Premier League performers in a Forest side that are one of the most volatile in the division, and his goal at the Etihad recently topped off another excellent performance. City face competition for him, and United will fancy their chances if they can promise Champions League football, but City will be confident they can land him. Other factors will determine if another midfielder is needed.

The next obvious position is right-back, although it is not clear that they will definitely sign one. They have certainly looked at a few players in the position, in the younger age bracket so not coming in as first-choice, but then they did that last summer and ultimately opted against. Links with Newcastle’s Tino Livramento have again been dismissed, which is perhaps another indicator that City aren’t convinced about spending a lot of money on the role (although Livramento’s injury record has also been poor over the last two seasons).

Everyone is happier with Matheus Nunes at right-back now he himself has committed to the position, and Guardiola was happy enough with Abdukodir Khusanov there to use him at the Bernabeu. Vitor Reis is pushing for a return to Manchester with his performances at Girona and Guardiola may decide that having more centre-backs that can be shifted out wide is better than signing a specialist who will not be as adept covering the middle.

Any word of a Bernie 1-year extension? E

Still nothing. It’s not impossible, and it has happened before with other players where they have come to an agreement late in the year to stay for another campaign. But it is not looking any more likely than it has done all season. Silva wanted to stay this season and wants to leave his mark as captain, but he seems happy enough with leaving the club in a good place again without needing another haul of trophies before he goes off to pursue another challenge while he still has plenty to offer.

How much longer are you staying Pep? Another 10yrs please. Norman

This also came in before the Champions League game, and there are more fans who are open to him leaving at the end of the season after that 3-0 defeat. That won’t be the way the board see it though, who still regard Guardiola as the best man for the job. Given City entered March alive in four competitions, they would probably argue that it has already been a successful season – particularly given last year and the changes over the last three transfer windows – regardless of whether City win anything or not. That may not be how everyone sees it, but there is a valid point in there.

Guardiola’s interview before the Madrid game with TNT leaned more into an exit at the end of the season as he reminisced about the grounds that he will miss when he leaves. There were also some people who took his very attacking lineup at the Bernabeu to be an attempt to claim one final emphatic victory on what could be his last time in the dugout at the ground of Barcelona’s most bitter rivals. Guardiola knows, though, that he is nearing the end, even if he stays another year and will also be well aware of the speculation surrounding his future, so can choose to lean into it when he wants. He certainly isn’t being as reflective and retrospective as he was last season amid City’s struggles.

Hello, Simon! There are a lot of rumours about Rodri potentially leaving for Real Madrid. The latest news about his contract was during the summer transfer window. My question is: what is the current situation with his contract? Is there a chance he will extend his contract or will he leave for a new challenge? He is my favourite player on the team, so I am very concerned about his future. Ulugbek

Hi Ulugbek, Rodri is an interesting one – not least because he is coveted by Real president Florentino Perez, a man who has been used to getting what he wants for decades. A new City contract has not been seen as urgent this season while the player has been working his way back from injury, but the club are now relying on banking the goodwill they feel they have to get Rodri to extend.

They will not want his deal to go far into the final 12 months next season and if they are to lose him will want a substantial fee given the support and patience that he has had around his injury problems. The World Cup is another potential complication though with Rodri spending a big chunk of the summer with teammates from Spain, and he will also have to weigh up how long he can thrive in a Premier League that is increasingly physical. I wouldn’t say City are worried about losing Rodri, but the longer it goes without any significant breakthroughs in contract talks the doubts may start to creep in.

Manchester City midfielder Rodri was charged for his post match comments after the 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester City midfielder Rodri has avoided a ban but been fined £80,000 for his post-match comments after the draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

The Spaniard was initially charged by the Football Association with misconduct after his outburst following City’s 2-2 draw with Spurs at the beginning of February. Pep Guardiola’s side had taken a two-goal lead in North London before the hosts answered back to earn an unlikely draw with Dominic Solanke’s goal causing a stir.

The England striker saw his goal stand after the Spurs forward appeared to kick through the leg of Marc Guehi. Speaking in the media post-match, Rodri accused referee Robert Jones of not being “neutral”.

READ MORE: Pep Guardiola sees answer to major Man City issue in 135 minutesREAD MORE: Man City get Erling Haaland injury update for Real Madrid – ‘He struggles’

Today (March 9), an independent commission has sanctioned Rodri with the midfielder fined £80,000, but he will not serve a suspension for his comments.

In their written reasons, it was confirmed that the commission were unanimous that the comments made by the Ballon d’Or-winning midfielder didn’t meet the threshold in order for a playing sanction.

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Rodri was said to have co-operated with the FA throughout. He admitted the charge at the earliest opportunity and in full, as a result his fine was reduced from £120,000 to £80,000, and he has since apologised for the comments that he made, accepting that his outburst was inappropriate.

The midfielder also didn’t repeat the comments in other post-match media interviews, and it was noted that he has no previous disciplinary issues, in relation to misconduct charges and comments to the media.

In a statement, the 29-year-old said: “I would like to apologise again for the comments I made during my post-match interview following the fixture against Tottenham Hotspur on 1 February 2026.

“I fully accept that my words, as expressed, were inappropriate and fell below the standard expected of me as a professional player.

“I wish to make clear that I did not intend to imply bias or question the integrity of the match officials. I have always had, and continue to have, great respect for referees and the difficult job they undertake in a fast-moving and highly pressured environment.

“My comments were made in a moment of frustration after a disappointing result. Upon reflection, I recognise that the words I used were poorly chosen and capable of being interpreted in a way that I did not intend.”

As part of Rodri’s evidence, he referenced Diogo Dalot’s tackle on Jeremy Doku as one of the decisions that he felt had gone against City in the lead up to the showdown with Tottenham Hotspur.

Antoine Semenyo’s disallowed goal for interfering with play during their Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg against Newcastle United was also referenced. Meanwhile, as part of the defence, City highlighted cases with the FA against Frank Lampard, formerly of Everton in 2022, Marco Silva and Chris Wilder both in 2024, highlighting that financial sanctions rather than sporting have been issued.

Our regular Q&A this week looks at Manchester City’s North Stand and the futures of some of Pep Guardiola’s key men.

15:59, 06 Mar 2026

A lot can happen in a week, and it’s certainly been an eventful time at Manchester City since our last Q&A. Pep Guardiola’s side knew their Premier League destiny was in their own hands a few days ago, with maximum points from their remaining league games ensuring they would be crowned champions. That is no longer the case.

The disappointing 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night saw Arsenal stretch their advantage at the top of the table to seven points. But you can guarantee that won’t be the last twist in this pulsating title race.

City have also been drawn against Real Madrid in the Champions League, of course. City will travel to the Spanish capital next week for the first leg of their last 16 tie, but before then they head to Newcastle as they look to keep their FA Cup hopes alive.

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With so much going on at the club, we’ll be hosting weekly Q&A sessions with our chief City writer Simon Bajkowski. The day of the week it comes out on may change depending on what City’s schedule looks like, but essentially this is your chance to get an answer on anything you want – simply pop your question here at any time of the week and Simon will pick them all up and wrap everything up in one place.

“Do you think that the club & the supporters groups should launch a campaign for ‘Two ends are better than one’. 1894 would prefer to remain (wrongly imo) in SSL0 and NSL2 appears to be in limbo with no distinct ‘atmosphere’ identity. Imagine the atmosphere if NSL2was populated with 6000 noisy, Mancunians complementing 1894 & SS. Two ends are better than one !!” Andrew Hulme

Are they expecting to open the extended North Stand seating for any games this season? Tommy

Hi Andrew, I will pass your thoughts onto the marketing team at the club. Or maybe they’re reading this and can take it from the horse’s mouth. You would think that the club already have slogans thought up given every aspect of the new entertainment district has its name and the branding in the North Stand has been so prominent for so long. You are right though that, as I wrote this week, it really isn’t clear what anybody wants the North Stand to be.

There are going to be thousands of rail seats and new Flexi Gold tickets in the seats so there is an opportunity to make it for singers but it needs to be openly advertised like that pretty quickly if that is what is desired (I’m sure the club would say they want this but they haven’t done much in practice to back this up). There are new hospitality sections though as well and the club will want to find a balance. I’m expecting the noisiest part of the ground to remain the bottom tier of the south stand but it would be nice if they had something new to bounce off.

As for when the North Stand will open, that also remains to be seen. As far as I’m aware it is still expected to be this season, but with the test events that are needed before tickets can be sold there aren’t many games left this season. Having said that, there’s the potential for the last game of the season to be at home against Aston Villa so even one game would be better than nothing.

Has the 115 charges been dropped? Oliver

I hope so Oliver, so we can all move on with our lives and never talk about it again. Sadly, as far as I’m aware we are still waiting for news of the verdict from the hearing that finished 15 months ago. Only Richard Masters can answer if he knew it would take this long when the Premier League laid all of the charges against City in 2023 but it is a pretty sorry state and needs to be carefully managed – especially now City are approaching the home straight of another title race.

City fans won’t want a verdict announced between now and the end of the season because so many people will say City are guilty regardless (they will likely get fined for lack of co-operation as a minimum) and it could distract the team, but Arsenal will be screaming for any help that they can get. As soon as justice is ready, there is an argument that it should be released immediately. That is up to the Premier League though, who have to make sure this situation doesn’t damage their reputation and competition any further.

We don’t want ex Chelsea boss as peps replacement if it happens? Mark Eastwood

What are the chances of Pep leaving and Maresca replacing him as of now ? Ben

An interesting time for two questions about Enzo Maresca to pop up, given there haven’t been anything recent linking him to the City job. Guardiola’s departure remains unknown, with more comments this week about the energy he gets from adapting his team to cope with new challenges in the league. Does that sound like a manager who won’t be seeing out his contract? It’s very possible he is rejuvenated because he knows he only has to keep going until the end of the season and then he is done, but there is plenty to be excited about with this young team and the January signings are already talking about how much Guardiola has improved them.

Maresca is one of the candidates liked and respected by City for his work – Guardiola has given plenty of praise to his effort at Chelsea – but, as the questions suggest, isn’t likely to be a popular choice with supporters. In that sense though, will anyone other than Vincent Kompany be? Replacing Guardiola is in the same ballpark as United replacing Sir Alex Ferguson, even if City feel they are far better prepared for it.

It will take some getting used to for fans, who can’t have the same expectations – they just need a manager who gives them enough for everyone to get behind them. Maresca could be that man – timing may dictate things as much as anything – but patience will be required if he is.

Why does Guardiola so used to very small squad knowing fully well that when injuries set in, the team becomes depleted and they struggle to survive as a result of the absence of key players? Charles

It’s a question that won’t go away for Guardiola, and in the middle of City’s injury crisis this season a lot were saying it very loudly. You could put the injuries in one season down to bad luck, but when it happens in consecutive seasons is it poor planning? There is an argument that the increasing demands of the schedule give needs for an increasingly large squad.

However, City weathered the storm in January and their injury situation now looks a lot better. With a smallish squad, Guardiola is at the point where he is able to rally everybody for the final few months of the season and tell them their contribution will be important whereas with a bigger squad some would be case aside. That is a strategy that has given the manager immense success, so it feels foolish to deviate from it.

Hi, we have a question: What is Bernardo Silva’s future and situation with Manchester City in light of the circulating news about him? Will he leave at the end of the season or stay? Abood

I want to know what’s going about Rodri contract and also our captain Bernie. Ahmad

There’s lots of interest from supporters about whether Bernardo Silva will stay in a way that there really wasn’t last season. The captain’s future is similar to the manager in the sense that it is under lock and key – Silva told us at the beginning of October that he had made a decision so even if it doesn’t change the fact it hasn’t leaked is telling. It would be a surprise if Silva stayed, but City will keep working until the day he does leave to offer him the chance of another year in basically any capacity because of how important he has shown himself to be again this season.

Rodri’s future is also coming into immediate attention. It hasn’t been seen as a priority by either side while the player has been coming back to his best from injury and City will like to think they have lots of credit in the bank from the way they have treated him around last season both with the ACL and with the Ballon d’Or. It’s a niggly one because there will always be links with the top Spanish clubs but for the time being both player and club are comfortable without having anything signed.

Manchester City picked up a major victory on Saturday night to keep the pressure firmly on Arsenal in the title race

16:59, 23 Feb 2026

Manchester City showed a different side to their game on Saturday as they beat Newcastle United and kept pace with Arsenal. The Blues were steely in defence as Eddie Howe’s team pushed for an equaliser.

City may have been fortunate to see Dan Burn’s goal chalked off but they deserved the three points. It was not only Rayan Ait-Nouri, Matheus Nunes, Ruben Dias, Marc Guehi and, later, Abdukodir Khusanov defending, it was a team effort. With this in mind, MEN Sport has taken a look at four defensive tactics City used to win the game.

Erling Haaland

It speaks volumes that Haaland was singled out by Pep Guardiola for his defensive work, rather than his offensive play. “I’m not a big fan to put Erling to defend, but he helped us, and I know after that how the people hug him and celebrate him and say they’re grateful to help us because Newcastle allowed us to do that,” the City boss said.

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The Norwegian joined the defence for set pieces to deal with the aerial threats of Burn, Nick Woltemade and Malick Thiaw. And he showed the same intensity in this task as he does in the opposition box.

At one stage, you could see Haaland bouncing from side to side as he anticipated the cross coming in. The striker showed he is more than just a source of goals and silenced those who thought otherwise.

Duo helping

City don’t just have Haaland helping their defence, Omar Marmoush and Antoine Semenyo also joined the effort. While neither man can clear an aerial delivery like Haaland, they both worked hard to keep the lead intact.

Both forwards were quick to track back and follow the wingers when Newcastle broke away. This can often go unnoticed but the duo’s pace halted some promising counters and allowed the defence to recover their line.

The one time they didn’t track back quick enough, Anthony Gordon forced a good save from Gianluigi Donnarumma so it’s clear how important defending from the front is.

Vintage Rodri

There’s a reason City have been weaker when Rodri is out of the team. He provides protection to the defence unlike anyone else in this squad.

We have associated the Spaniard with his brilliant passing range and crunching tackles but on Saturday, his aerial ability started the move for Nico O’Reilly’s opener. He won the header from Newcastle’s long ball which sparked the City counter.

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He may go about his work unassumingly but Rodri is the best defensive midfielder in the world because he can do everything. On Saturday, he used one of the strings on his bow to devastating effect.

Bernardo’s work rate

Guardiola will be gutted when Bernardo Silva leaves because there are few players who have his engine. In the second half, the captain could be found in both boxes helping his team.

In the defensive third, he became the fifth body if Rodri was caught further up the pitch. Bernardo won’t class himself as an excellent defender, but his presence in the box suffocated options – as shown when Anthony Elanga looked up to find nobody free in the area thanks to Bernardo.

This hesitation allowed Ait-Nouri to barge Elanga out of play. It was not an evening when Bernardo stole the show up front but his work rate remains a huge asset for the Blues.

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