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Pep Guardiola insisted Manchester City must get on with life without Rodri after Newcastle fought back to deny the Premier League champions victory at St James’ Park.
The Spain midfielder will miss the remainder of the season with a knee ligament injury, leaving Guardiola to plug a yawning chasm at the heart of his midfield.
Mateo Kovacic, Rico Lewis and later Bernardo Silva were asked to do the job on Tyneside, and their manager was philosophical when asked about it after a hard-fought 1-1 draw.
Guardiola said: “Guys, I’m going to tell you – I know you’re going ask me all the time – of course you’re going to miss Rodri, his physicality, his presence, I know.
“But he’s not there, so I’m judging Kovacic and Rico and Bernardo after and the wingers with Jack [Grealish] and how we have played, and it was exceptional, so it’s simple.
“I had to find a solution. I would love Rodri to be here and Oscar Bobb be here and Kevin [de Bruyne] be here and [Nathan] Ake be here, I would love it. But it is what it is.”
City, who struck late to snatch a 2-2 home draw with main rivals Arsenal last weekend, went ahead through Josko Gvardiol at St James’ during a first half in which they dominated possession.
However, they were pegged back after the break when Anthony Gordon dispatched a 58th-minute penalty, his second goal of the season, after being brought down by keeper Ederson.
Guardiola, who spoke at length to opposite number Eddie Howe after the final whistle, was ultimately satisfied with a point from the game.
Asked what he had said to Howe, he replied: “I said to him how I admire him and the way he approaches the game with high pressing. His team is so direct and has a lot of legs with [Jacob] Murphy, Gordon, [Harvey] Barnes.
“We controlled them really, really well in most parts of the game, especially when we play so, so high. Bruno [Guimaraes] and Joelinton, the physicality, [Sandro] Tonali and after the central defenders so high. It’s such a difficult team.
“We know with Newcastle last season struggled a little bit for just one reason, a lot of injuries that they had, otherwise it’s a team that competes really well.
“I admit that we would like to win. We drew, they deserved it as well and we’ll both take the point.”
Howe, who admitted he and his players had not liked they way they performed in defeat at Fulham last Saturday, was happy with what he felt was his team’s best display of the season to date.
He said: “I thought it was a really good game. I thought it was really interesting tactically.
“It’s our best display of the season, there’s no doubt about that for me, with and without the ball. It’s also probably the most competitive we’ve been against Manchester City as well.
“Even in the 3-3 draw [two seasons ago], I thought we had a bit more control today than we had in that game. It’s really good signs for us.”