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Manchester City midfielder Nico Gonzalez has allowed the Blues to move on from what was becoming a nagging issue for Pep Guardiola
It is just over a month since Manchester City touched down in Villarreal for their third Champions League game this season, and once again they were having to find a Rodri substitute. The Ballon d'Or winner was being honoured with a plaque outside the stadium of his former club and was due to do media commitments, but wasn't fit enough to be included in the matchday squad.
Step forward Nico Gonzalez, who was still looking to show he could be a leading man for City. Gonzalez had watched Rodri star in the 2-0 win over Napoli to kickstart their European campaign, with the talk then of how good Rodri looked starting his second game in five days.
Gonzalez had then replaced an indifferent Rodri in Monaco a few weeks later, only to concede a late penalty that allowed the home team to equalise and left Erling Haaland so angry he stormed off the pitch. The penalty seemed harsh but it added to the narrative that has lasted over a year, that City without Rodri are missing a fundamental ingredient for success.
Four days later, it was Rodri's name on the teamsheet at Brentford - only for him to suffer a hamstring injury in the 20th minute that required Gonzalez to rush onto the pitch. That moment forced City to be more cautious about how they used Rodri, and take the plunge on Gonzalez.
City's January signing has started seven of the last eight games, and may have had a clean sweep if a nasty blow in Villarreal hadn't forced him out of the Aston Villa game. It did not seem a coincidence that City's midfield did not look the same at Villa Park as it has in other games as Gonzalez has really made his mark.
He may not be Rodri, and City may not yet have a team capable of conquering all. They still have their vulnerabilities, as Saturday's defeat to Newcastle showed. However, the last month has moved Pep Guardiola's team on from the focus on Rodri and that has only happened because Gonzalez has stepped up his level and flourished with the added responsibility he has been given.
City will still be a better team when Rodri returns - and there is an argument for playing him with Gonzalez - but one of the major themes from last season's struggles that threatened to spill into this campaign suddenly feels like much less of an issue. If City can beat Leverkusen on Tuesday night and effectively book a top-24 place with three games to go, progress in the Champions League will feel a lot easier too.
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