INDEPENDENT
Rodri came up with another big goal for Manchester City, scoring in the 88th minute to secure the champions a 2-1 win at Sheffield United on Sunday and a third straight victory to open its Premier League title defense.
After Erling Haaland responded to missing a first-half penalty by breaking the deadlock in the 63rd, it looked like City would be dropping points in a game it dominated when a mistake by captain Kyle Walker gifted Jayden Bogle an unlikely 85th-minute equalizer.
Walker made amends by winning the ball back on the right wing and crossing to Phil Foden, whose miscontrol went straight to Rodri and the midfielder made no mistake with a fierce left-foot shot into the top corner.
Rodri was the scorer of City’s winner in the Champions League final last season and has already scored twice this campaign, having netted at Burnley in the opening round.
City is the only team with a maximum of nine points so far.
City, and specifically Haaland, endured a frustrating afternoon at Bramall Lane until the Norway striker’s opener, with a physical Sheffield United team defending deep and ruggedly.
A 36th-minute penalty — awarded for a handball against John Egan that blocked Julian Alvarez’s cut-back — was City’s first real chance and Haaland wasted it by dragging it against the post, with goalkeeper Wes Foderingham diving the other way.
The game continued to be one-sided in the second half, with Haaland shooting wide from Walker’s cross and then seeing a deft chip clawed away by Foderingham in the 61st.
City manager Pep Guardiola — watching the match in Barcelona as he recovers from back surgery — might have been feeling uncomfortable at that stage but Haaland delivered in the end like he usually does. Juanma Lillo took charge of City in the absence of Guardiola.
