'Only us can fail' - Rodri fires swipe at Premier League rivals when grilled on Man City form

Rodri has suggested Manchester City are under more pressure than any other side in the Premier League.

Trophies have been easy to come by for the Spaniard since he arrived at the Etihad four years ago. Eight honours - including a historic treble last season - have cemented City’s dominance across English football in recent seasons.

After an initial slow start, Rodri has become an integral player for Pep Guardiola and is regarded as the world’s best in his position. It was the 27-year-old’s strike that sealed the elusive Champions League trophy in June.

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But City have not shown the same ruthless streak in 2023-24, leading some, including Manchester United legend Gary Neville, to question whether “complacency” has crept in. The champions are fourth in the Premier League, winning just one of their last five games.

Rodri has admitted he struggles to sleep following a bad result and is desperate to “solve” the poor run. Speaking to Football Focus, the midfielder also took a swipe at top-flight rivals - claiming only City can fail given their abundance of silverware under Guardiola.

“It’s more difficult when you don’t win,” Rodri said. “We don’t want to be at the same level, we want to be even better. Every team gets better every year, that’s how it works.

“We did have results at the start of the season but maybe the form wasn’t there. Then, comes the opposite. We didn’t do our worst but the results never came.

“I go home and don’t sleep well. I’m mad. I want to solve the situation. The only team who can fail this season is us. Everyone else, if they don’t do well, it won’t be a failure, it will be normal. City win every