Pep Guardiola didn’t hold back after Rodri’s performance off the bench against Sunderland. Even though City walked away with just a point after a goalless draw, Guardiola made it clear: this is what they’ve been missing for the past year and a half.

City wanted the win, not just to break Sunderland’s unbeaten home record, but to keep up with Arsenal, who now sit four points clear at the top. The drawstrings, no question. But when Rodri came on for the injured Nico González in the second half, you could feel the shift. The midfield finally settled down, and City looked more like themselves.

Guardiola was almost relieved. Rodri, who’s barely played in the league since coming back from that nasty cruciate ligament injury last September, is finally getting back to match fitness. And City needs him badly.

“He changed the game,” Guardiola said. “In just 45 minutes, he showed again why he’s the best in his position. We struggled to get things going in the buildup, but once Rodri was out there, it was different. He breaks lines, we move better, and honestly, after a year and a half without him, we’ve really missed him. Hopefully, he can stay fit now because he just makes us better.”

Sure, Arsenal dropped points at Sunderland earlier this season, too, so it’s not an easy ground for anyone. Guardiola admitted as much. “It’s always tough here. We had so many chances in the six-yard box, and we just couldn’t convert. The first half wasn’t great; we didn’t stick to the plan, but overall? We played really well against a fantastic team. I’m proud—my players gave everything to win.”

He knows his players were disappointed after the final whistle, but there’s no time to dwell. Chelsea are up next, and City can’t afford to let their heads drop.

There’s more bad news on the injury front. Both Savinho and Nico had to come off and probably won’t make it for the Chelsea match. “Savinho doesn’t look good,” Guardiola admitted. “Nico, we’ll have to wait and see.”

Rodri, though, was the real bright spot. He came on at halftime, completed 52 passes, and helped City push for a winner. It was his first real appearance since a brief cameo against Bournemouth back in November. After so long out, you could see how much the team missed him.

City had chances. Haaland and Gvardiol both forced great saves from Robin Roefs, and Savinho blasted over from close range. Still, the goal never came. It’s City’s first 0-0 of the season, and now they trail Arsenal by four.

Guardiola summed it up: “It was a really good game, especially the second half. The first half was tight; we just couldn’t finish our chances in the six-yard box. But against an unbeaten home team, I’m proud of the way we played. We did everything to win—it just didn’t happen.”

Sunderland kept their unbeaten home run in the Premier League alive, making it 10 games without a loss, after a 0-0 draw with Manchester City.

The match at the Stadium of Light had plenty of energy. Both teams had their moments to threaten but just couldn’t find the breakthrough. Bernardo Silva thought he’d scored early on, but the flag went up for offside. Brian Brobbey and Erling Haaland both forced saves before halftime. Trai Hume sent a header over the bar right before the break, and in the second half, Savinho and Eliezer Mayenda both came close. Then, with 16 minutes left, Josko Gvardiol hit the post. So close, but still no goals.

In the end, City walked away four points behind Arsenal at the top, while Sunderland held on to seventh place.

Over in west London, Thomas Frank’s return to Brentford didn’t exactly go as he’d hoped. Tottenham and Brentford played out a dull 0-0 draw at the Gtech Stadium. Frank, who spent seven years and a promotion with the Bees, came back for the first time since leaving for Spurs in the summer. The fans gave him a warm welcome, but the game was a slog. Tottenham didn’t even manage a shot on target until stoppage time. The home fans made their feelings clear, chanting “boring, boring Tottenham” as the match fizzled out.

Brentford thought they’d scored just four minutes in—Nathan Collins saw his header saved, and Kevin Schade put in the rebound, but he was offside. Tottenham could’ve nicked it at the end, but Richarlison’s shot was weak and straight at keeper Caoimhin Kelleher.

At Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace’s winless streak grew to six games after a 1-1 draw with Fulham. Palace wanted to avoid a fourth straight league defeat, and Jean-Philippe Mateta gave them hope with a goal in the 39th minute. Fulham hit the post through Raul Jimenez, then Palace’s Maxence Lacroix watched Bernd Leno tip his header onto the bar.

But with 10 minutes left, Tom Cairney struck from the edge of the box to level things for Fulham. In stoppage time, Dean Henderson pulled off a brilliant one-handed save to deny Timothy Castagne, making sure Palace at least held on for the point.