We need to learn from Chelsea draw, says Rodri | OneFootball

Rodri believes lessons can be learned from our agonising 1-1 Premier League draw with Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium.

Match Report

City suffer late frustration in Chelsea draw

Tijjani Reijnders scored his third goal in three starts for City to put us ahead at the break after Erling Haaland had earlier crashed an effort off the inside of the post.

After a battling second 45 minutes, the visitors snatched a late point with Enzo Fernandez bundling in a 94th minute equaliser.

The draw means we’re now undefeated in our last 10 matches across all competitions, with eight wins and two draws, and sees us move back up to second place in the table, but we now sit six points behind league-leaders Arsenal.

“It’s frustrating of course but at the end it is what it is,” he began in an interview after the game. “We created enough chances to win the game three or four nil, but this is football. If you don’t take your chances with nothing they just draw the game.

“So we have to learn from this. There is still a long way and we just need to focus on the next games. First half was brilliant, enough to score three or four goals. In the second half we forgot a little bit how to play and they got control of the game, losing easy balls.

“Sometimes when you defend, defend, defend, they did not have much but they get a draw. There’s still a long way to go.

“Injuries unbalances the team, every single time a player goes out [injured] but of course the team has to adjust. It is not an excuse, we have enough talented players to play but in the second half we lose face a bit.

“We move on, we have the next game against Brighton at home and we have to win. We know that this season is going to be long so we have to keep going and going.”

Rodri made his first start in three months following an encouraging 45 minutes off the bench last time out in the goalless draw with Sunderland and revealed he views his return to fitness as a gift.

“For me it is a gift. What I have been through has been terrible for me so winning, drawing, losing for me right now everything is a gift,” he continued.

“To play, have the joy of the game and recover the smile, and the rest will come, the victories, the successes for the team. Right now it’s about staying fit and enjoying football.

“I went through the process of where you have to adjust the body in terms of the muscle. I feel strong. I need the rhythm of the games but for the moment of the season we are in and where I came from I feel good.”