Rodri reaches 38 consecutive Premier League games unbeaten

Rodri's sweet spell at Manchester City continues. The midfielder reached a year without defeat on 5th February 2024 and also completed the equivalent of a Premier League unbeaten run in the clash at the Etihad between the Sky Blue and Brentford on Tuesday 20th February.

The last time the Spanish international suffered a defeat in the English league competition was against Tottenham, in a game Pep Guardiola's side lost 1-0 to a solitary Harry Kane goal. From the win over Aston Villa on 12th February 2023, in which he scored a goal, to the end of that season, Rodri appeared in 16 more Premier League matches without defeat. The remaining 22 have taken place in a 2023-24 season in which Manchester City were beaten without him on three occasions.

Therefore, his presence has been decisive for a team that has also needed him in the rest of the competitions, where he is still unbeaten since that match against Spurs. In total, Rodri has now accumulated 57 consecutive matches without losing, in which he has had some brilliant moments even in aspects less prone to his brilliance, such as goalscoring and assisting. The midfielder has scored 10 goals and made 7 assists in all competitions in that time without tasting the bitter taste of defeat.

The Spanish midfielder's performance was crucial to the Champions League title, as Manchester City beat Inter Milan in the final thanks to his solitary goal (1-0). He also contributed to the 2023-24 opening day win over Burnley with a goal and an assist and avoided defeat in the European Super Cup final with an assist for Cole Palmer in a match that went to a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw.

Shortly afterwards, Rodri scored the winner in a 2-1 win away to Sheffield United and also helped to prevent a defeat for Pep Guardiola's side with his late strike in the Citizens' 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge. His most recent star attacking appearances for the Sky Blues were against Newcastle, where he provided a key assist in a 3-2 win, and again against Chelsea, as another late goal ensured they did not end their run of form in last weekend's 1-1 draw.

 

February 21, 2024

27th in Premier League history

Despite the difficulty of this achievement, there are 26 other players in the history of the competition who, before Rodri, had managed to complete a Premier League, or 38 games in the domestic competition without defeat, in a row. Of these, the player who went 56 games without defeat in a row between 30th November 2002 and 16th October 2004 was Arsenal defender Sol Campbell.

The former England international is followed by two former Arsenal team-mates. Both Thierry Henry and Kolo Toure went 48 consecutive Premier League games without defeat in a run that began for both of them on 7th May 2003 and ended, like Campbell's, on 16th October 2004.

Exactly one game less lasted for another 'Gunner' of the invincibles like Jens Lehmann, as his run also ended on the same day, but had started on 16th August 2003. Ricardo Carvalho was also at 47, in his case at Chelsea in the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons, unbeaten between 11th November 2006 and 21st September 2008.

The list continues with Joel Matip (2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons) and Lauren (2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05), who went 46 games without defeat. Robert Pires (2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05) and Gilberto Silva (2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05) went 45; Virgil van Dijk (2018-19 and 2019-20), Fredrik Ljungberg (2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05), Patrick Vieira (2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05) and Andrew Robertson (2018-19 and 2019-20) went 44.

41 matches without defeat were racked up by Jordan Henderson (2018-19 and 2019-20), Joe Gomez (2017-18, 2018-19 and 2019-20), Sadio Mane (2018-19 and 2019-20), Mohamed Salah (2018-19 and 2019-20), Ashley Cole (2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05) and Georginio Wijnaldum (2018-19 and 2019-20); 40 was the top tally of Phil Neville (1999-2000 and 2000-01), Roberto Firmino (2018-19 and 2019-20), Frank Lampard (2004-05 and 2005-06) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (2018-19 and 2019-20); 39 registered by Wayne Bridge (2006-07, 2007-08 and 2008-09) and Dennis Bergkamp (2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05), and on 38 alone until Tuesday were John Terry (2004-05 and 2005-06) and James Milner (2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21). Rodri now forms part of this prestigious list alongside the Chelsea legend and the current Brighton player.