The Spaniard lost his rag in a fiery 2-0 win but the England midfielder was utterly brilliant again as the champions earned a sixth victory in a row
Manchester City equalled their best ever start to a Premier League season by beating Nottingham Forest 2-0 in an ill-tempered game but will now have to make do without arguably their most influential player for three matches after Rodri was sent off following a moment of madness.
City were coasting in the second half when Rodri got into a scrap with Morgan Gibbs-White and grabbed his opponent by the neck. The Nottingham Forest midfielder made the most of the incident by going down but the referee had little choice after Rodri had raised his hands.
Crucially, Rodri will now miss City's trip to Arsenal on October 8 which is shaping up as an early top-of-the-table showdown. The treble winners showed their fighting spirit after going down to 10 men and Phil Foden was outstanding, having also given City the lead.
Erling Haaland scored his eighth league goal of the season to make it 2-0 but the Norwegian had an otherwise disappointing match, missing a glaring chance in the second half.
GOAL rates City's players from an angry Etihad Stadium…
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Ederson (7/10):
Had a very quiet first half but had to be alert after City were reduced to 10 men. Booked for a confrontation with Taiwo Awoniyi, who was also carded. Dominant in the air and made a fine save in stoppage time.
Kyle Walker (7/10):
Energetic and influential. Set up the opening goal with a classy half-volleyed cross to Foden then helped fight back the Forest assault.
Ruben Dias (7/10):
Physically imposing and very alert. Ensured Forest did not take advantage of their extra man.
Manuel Akanji (6/10):
Got an early booking for an important tactical foul. Put his body on the line after the red card.
Josko Gvardiol (6/10):
Anticipated well and used his strength to his advantage.
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Rodri (4/10):
Had been a bit imprecise and then truly lost control when he clashed with Gibbs-White. Was silly to get involved and his overreaction will hurt City, especially against Arsenal.
Matheus Nunes (6/10):
Another good showing after a strong full debut against Red Star. Got his first assist for the club in only his third game, equalling his tally across all of last season with Wolves.
Phil Foden (8/10):
Got City off the mark with a fabulous finish and dictated the pace of the game with exceptional touches, passing and vision.
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Jeremy Doku (6/10):
Had a few exciting moments although they didn't lead to creating clear chances. Was the first player to be sacrificed after Rodri's red card.
Erling Haaland (5/10):
Despite heading in City's second goal to make it eight goals for the season, the Norwegian had a poor game by his usual high standards and missed a sitter in the second half.
Julian Alvarez (5/10):
A drop from his recent high levels. Tested Matt Turner with a free-kick and sent another shot wide. Taken off in the 57th minute.
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Kalvin Phillips (6/10):
Helped City stay in control after losing Rodri.
Nathan Ake (6/10):
Tightened up the defence and also got forward.
Jack Grealish (N/A):
Made his comeback from injury in the 87th minute.
Pep Guardiola (8/10):
Reacted superbly to the red card, making two defensive substitutions to ensure City kept a galvanised Forest at bay. Equalled his best ever start to a Premier League season.