ee BetOdds24 | ‘Winning 8-0 and then losing is pointless’ – Rodri admits Man City must improve to catch ‘animals’ Liverpool

‘Winning 8-0 and then losing is pointless’ – Rodri admits Man City must improve to catch ‘animals’ Liverpool

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The Spanish midfielder sees plenty of positives for the reigning Premier League champions, but concedes they have a big challenge on their hands

Manchester City midfielder Rodri admits that the Blues have work to do in order to catch “animals” Liverpool, with it “pointless” for them to win 8-0 one week and then lose the next.

The Blues were domestic treble winners last season, with Pep Guardiola’s side sweeping aside all before them.

They have not had things all their own way in 2019-20, though, with shock defeats suffered at the hands of Norwich and Wolves.

City have still found top gear at times, such as when they demolished Watford, but the consistency on which Guardiola prides himself has been lacking and remains an area of possible improvement.

Summer signing Rodri admits as much, telling the Daily Mail: “We can't be beating Watford 8-0 and then losing the next game: that's pointless.”

The Spaniard added: “We have been characterised as the team that is constantly attacking; not allowing the other side to get out and that is a virtue.

“But you also need to have a team that thinks quickly from the back to the front.

“We work tremendously hard on the defensive side of things even though people might not think so.

“Trying to make sure the opposition's counter-attacks don't hurt us. Being vigilant and covering. We have to know what to do when we don't have the ball.

“We are better when we can rob the ball in the opposition's half, when we press.”

Liverpool have favoured a similar approach under Jurgen Klopp and Rodri admits the emergence of the Reds as serious challengers at home and abroad is forcing City to raise their game.

He added: “We have not started in the best way possible, that is clear, but we know the difficulties that we have right now [with injuries] and we know that the season is very long.

“I have touched down in England, and immediately found myself up against one of the best teams I have seen in recent years.

“They are strong. And not just on the counter-attack. They can dominate games and they can score from set-plays.

“But all teams have their bad moments of the season and we have to be there. It's not so much waiting for our opponent to fail as making sure we get things right.”

City haven fallen eight points behind Liverpool through as many Premier League games this season, with Guardiola’s men playing catch-up as a result.

There are, however, two meetings between the title hopefuls to come – with the first of them due to take place on November 10 – and Rodri is hoping to see the Blues tame the Reds.

The 23-year-old midfielder added on Klopp’s side: “He took both Dortmund and Liverpool to Champions League finals and that is not just coincidence.

“He is a coach who works the defensive side of things very well but he also works the attacking mechanisms very hard too. His teams are very physical and very tough. They go at you like animals and that is what prevails in football right now.”

City have several games to take in before facing Liverpool, with the first of those set to see them return to action after the international break with a trip to Crystal Palace on Saturday.

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