‘So many times’ – Alan Shearer criticises Man City’s Rodri replacement for performance vs Wolves

Alan Shearer singled out Mateo Kovacic for criticism after Manchester City were stunned by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

A nightmare afternoon at Molineux resulted in City conceding twice – despite just one shot on target being fired at Ederson’s goal. Ruben Dias’ early own goal proved the catalyst for a disastrous trip to the Midlands, with Hwang Hee-chan winning the game shortly after Julian Alvarez’s brilliant equaliser.

One area of discussion after the game was Rodri – a man pivotal to City’s recent success. An idiotic red card last weekend had previously gone unpunished due to Pep Guardiola’s side already comfortably beating Nottingham Forest.

But his absence was felt yesterday – just as it was against Newcastle United in midweek – as City failed to get a grip in midfield. A startling fact is how Guardiola’s men have lost 33 percent of their Premier League games without Rodri since his arrival in 2019.

Summer arrival Mateo Kovacic was tasked with playing deeper against Wolves but had little impact on the game. Speaking on Match of the Day, former England captain Shearer noted how many times the Serbian international gave the ball away.

“Kovacic was changed position today because of Rodri, (who was) missing through suspension,” he said. “He was the sitting midfielder and he gave the ball away so many times. When you’re playing against Manchester City, you have to be almost perfect. Yes, they get a little bit of luck, but that’s what happened all day.”

Shearer also paid credit to Wolves for grinding out a much-needed three points. The win, their second of the campaign, opened up a four-point cushion over the bottom three.

“We know City commit men forward with the way they want to play, scoring goals,” Shearer added. “They also leave a little bit for you at the back if you have the ability to hit them on the counter. What a win that was for Wolves and Gary O’Neil.

“They had incredible pace and ability in transition, with (Matheus) Cunha, (Pedro) Neto and Hwang. They were superb.”