Sunday was Rodri's first start in three months, and given how he suffered an injury relapse in that outing against Brentford, City fans must have been worried when he was sent crashing to the floor by Reece James early on in the game. There was no need to worry, though, as Rodri dusted himself down and continued to play as if he had never torn his ACL and MCL, nor suffered any other injuries over the last two years.
This was a vintage version of Rodri. He dictated the tempo of the game from the start, deciding whether City should suffocate Chelsea through possession or unpick their opponents with fast passing. He was adept at doing both and he also made others tick. Bernardo Silva, who has had a pretty quiet season, was unleashed and emboldened to get forward while Rayan Cherki benefitted from the steady supply of passes Rodri provided, including one with his head. City looked both much more purposeful with the ball and much less vulnerable without it thanks to Rodri's presence.
"He's an extraordinary player; his composure, he makes us play better in many things," gushed Guardiola. The coach did, however, refer to "the big question mark", which is whether Rodri will be able to play against Brighton on Wednesday at the same level and return to playing three times a week, something Guardiola said was not possible earlier in the season.
If Rodri can keep this level of performance up then City might just stand a chance of catching Arsenal. But if that proves too big an ask, he can turbocharge their bid to win the Champions League. And if City lose more ground to the Gunners, there is an argument for wrapping the Ballon d'Or-winning midfielder in cotton wool and keeping him in pristine competition for European nights.