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Manchester City play maker Kalvin De Bruyne has finally reacted after being Benched by Pep Guardiola in yesterdays match

This season has been a little strange for the man who scored in Istanbul and won that chant (on top of winning the Champions League final and the Treble). He has had trouble living up to the superhuman standards he has set. The Spanish player has been suspended four times this season and has looked weak in others because Pep Guardiola still can’t picture Kalvin Phillips in his team. Rodri came back from a bad injury in the Club World Cup final to start at Goodison Park on Wednesday, but he looked tired and gave the ball away for Everton’s goal, which is not like him at all.

The man for Manchester City’s biggest moments hasn’t lost his edge, though, and Rodri scored the first goal after Phil Foden’s pass. It was a perfect end to his and the team’s year. What a year, what a person, and what a team.

People who watch City every week will know how good Rodri has been for a long time. Claims that Declan Rice is better are still silly (remember when Casemiro was getting great reviews a year ago?!), especially when compared to someone who has been so important to City’s amazing success. Blues will know from this season, though, that a 1-0 lead at the Etihad isn’t always enough to win. That was the case for most of Guardiola’s time here.

City won this game from the beginning to the end, which was good news for most people inside the stadium. Sheffield United never had a chance to get back into the game because they played so well in the second half. Julian Alvarez scored his 12th goal of the season.

The club wanted this game to be a celebration of a great year. The cover of the match programme showed some of the most memorable events from 2023, and before the game started, all five trophies were set up on the field. The fact that Kevin De Bruyne was back in the team for the first time since re-injuring his hamstring in the first Premier League game of the season was a bigger sign of strength. He got a standing ovation just for getting up to warm up in the second half, which shows how much people have missed him and are looking forward to what he and Rodri can bring to the team in the second half of the season.

With 86% of the ball going to City in the first 30 minutes and Rodri’s goal breaking the tie, the crowd felt good about their team and could praise them. Everyone in the field could hear “Champions again, ole ole” for more than a minute. It could be heard in all four stands.

Not everything went the home team’s way. Guardiola was booked for complaining to the fourth official that Bernardo Silva didn’t get a foul on the edge of the box. That being said, they didn’t let it bother them like they did at recent games at this stadium.

Oscar Bobb gave the team an extra boost when he replaced a (possibly naturally) tired Jack Grealish for the last 40 minutes. He played a devastating pass through three defenders to Foden in the box on the hour mark, setting up Alvarez to double the lead. After a few minutes, the Argentine wasn’t too far off when he brilliantly charged down goalie Wes Foderingham and hit the ball just high enough to miss the crossbar.

City could easily move the ball around to secure another easy win in an amazing year. Over the last year, this was the 25th win for City fans at the Etihad. Three draws against Liverpool, Spurs, and Palace ruined what would have been an amazing perfect record, but the Blues are still unbeaten at home since November 2022.

Also, they are now only two points behind Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table, due to goal difference. On Sunday, they will be away at Fulham. Last week, the defending champions went to the Middle East to win the Club World Cup. When they got back, they let everyone know that they would not be moved out of the running for the Premier League title.

That claim will be strengthened by a clean sheet, which was the first in nine league games and the longest streak of none for any of Guardiola’s teams. If City can make things tougher at the back, their opponents will have to worry a lot.

Also, the Blues should not get hurt too much in January. They only have one league game, which is away at Newcastle in the middle of the month. This gives Erling Haaland, De Bruyne, John Stones, and Jeremy Doku plenty of time to get fit again without missing too many games before the end of the season. When you add three of the best players in the world to City, they are obviously a whole different team.

Rodri scores four goals, and he is also a key player for City’s hopes of winning the title again. If the Spanish player wants to play at his best, he needs more safety than he got last season. However, he ended the year as the best midfielder in the league, just like he began.

It’s important for City that people still talk about him after the season is over.

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