Rodri’s late winner clinched Manchester City a hard-fought 2-1 win at Sheffield United and lifted them top of the Premier League.
The City midfielder crashed house a shot from inside the realm lower than three minutes after Blades substitute Jayden Bogle had cancelled out Erling Haaland’s second-half header with an Eighty fifth-minute equaliser.
It was a breathless end to a sport City had dominated – Haaland missed a first-half penalty – however Rodri’s strike lastly ended the Blades’ courageous resistance and sealed absent supervisor Pep Guardiola’s 2 hundredth win within the English top flight.
With City assistant coach Juanma Lillo in cost of the guests’ dugout as Guardiola recovers from again surgical procedure in Barcelona, it took 12 minutes for his aspect to carve out their first likelihood as Haaland headed straight at Blades goalkeeper Wes Foderingham.
The house aspect, compelled to exchange Ben Osborn with summer season signing Yasser Larouci within the seventeenth minute, caught resolutely to their job as City hogged the ball and patiently probed for a gap.
Foderingham denied the guests once more within the twenty sixth minute by deflecting Alvarez’s shot for a nook.
City have been gifted the prospect to take a first-half lead when Alvarez’s cross struck John Egan on the arm because the Blades skipper slid in to dam and referee Jarred Gillett pointed straight to the spot.
However Haaland didn’t convert as his low, left-footed penalty struck Foderingham’s left-hand put up.
Blades defender George Baldock was booked for his juddering problem on Jack Grealish earlier than the interval and the house followers gave their aspect a standing ovation on the half-time whistle with the rating at 0-0.
Lillo stepped out into the technical space for the primary time shortly after the restart to see Haaland shank Kyle Walker’s cross inches large.
There was now extra urgency to City’s method play. Rodri pulled a low effort large, Foderingham rescued the Blades once more by palming Haaland’s dinked effort for a nook and Alvarez lashed Grealish’s lay-off simply large.
Walker then blazed over earlier than City made the breakthrough within the 63rd minute.
Grealish was marshalled by Baldock on the left edge of the realm, however made house to clip the ball to the far put up and Haaland powered house his third league objective of the season with a towering header.
The Blades responded as substitute Oli McBurnie headed large from a nook and on the different finish Foderingham stored out Mateo Kovacic’s free-kick.
Bramall Lane erupted within the Eighty fifth minute when substitute Bogle arrowed a shot contained in the far put up to haul his aspect degree following an earlier error by former Blade Walker.
However earlier than a crowd of 31,336 may catch breath, Walker made amends by out-muscling Larouci out large and his cross was lashed house by Rodri after Phil Foden had mis-controlled.
The Blades virtually snatched one other equaliser when Anel Ahmedhodzic simply didn’t latch on to McBurnie’s cross, however City held agency to take care of their 100 per cent begin.
