In the middle of an unprecedent injury crisis in Manchester City, coach Pep Guardiola made a comparison between Rodri and Lionel Messi. Manchester City’s 4-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League has intensified Pep Guardiola’s toughest spell in his managerial career.

If the first scarcely left City distraught, with Guardiola unworried by exiting the Carabao Cup, the latest was more emphatic, more dramatic, more chastening, more stunning. Guardiola’s joint heaviest defeat became an embarrassment.

Rodri has spoken out about his Manchester City future, stating that Pep Guardiola's decision to sign a new deal is an "important incentive" for him although interest from Real Madrid is an "honour"