No letting up: Rodri knows a slip could be costly for Manchester City
Rodri admits Manchester City cannot afford a single slip-up as they bid to secure a second consecutive trophy treble.
City head into Sunday’s showdown with Arsenal a point behind the Premier League leaders and will then face eight games in April, including a two-legged Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid and FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea.
Victory over Mikel Arteta’s side could go a long way towards securing an unprecedented fourth straight Premier League title and would also extend Rodri’s remarkable unbeaten run in all competitions to 62 matches.
“It’s a very, very important match,” said the Spain midfielder, whose last defeat came for his national side against Scotland on March 28 last year.
“I’m not saying it’s going to be decisive, but it will be very important for the mental fight in the sense of if we are able to beat them it will be very important for our confidence, and we will show them that we are here again.
“It’s not just this game that’s like a final, it’s all of them from now until the end of the season. We’re still in every competition, but any game that you lose can practically leave you out of the running.
“Really that’s the level that this league demands from you, to reach between 90 and 100 points to be able to win the league.
“So, we have to win practically every game and that starts against Arsenal, who are currently the league leaders.”
Liverpool are the only side apart from City to lift the Premier League trophy in the last six seasons, while Arsenal’s most recent title triumph came 20 years ago.
“Of course we have the experience from previous years in managing these situations of being in multiple competitions,” Rodri added.
“When you get into the dynamic of playing every three days at the highest level you enter this competitive rhythm which can help you reach a very high level – it’s true with very high physical demands – and we’re going to have to manage that well.
“That’s why the whole team will be important from now until the end of the season and it’s one of the keys to success.
“We have to play with confidence like we have in the last years and be humble enough to run more than the opponent and do more than the opponent if we want to win.
“The target for us is to put ourselves into a position where we can fight until the end, and this is something we have been working on and to arrive in this moment.
“Now is the moment that we have to do the last push. The goal is to fight for everything. Our objective is basically this; if we were able to show that we could win everything we won last season, then why can’t we do it again?”
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Premier League predictions: Gameweek 30
Premier League football resumes after the March international break
Sunday's main event sees title contenders Man City and Arsenal square off
Important games for Liverpool, Man Utd and Tottenham
By Jude Summerfield
7:00 AM GMT
Can Arsenal win at Man City on Sunday?
Can Arsenal win at Man City on Sunday? / Visionhaus/GettyImages
The 2023/24 Premier League resumes this weekend as clubs around the English top flight prepare to take on the daunting run-in to the end of the season.
The top three are separated by just one point and Sunday is shaping up to be a defining day in the title race, with Liverpool hosting Brighton before current leaders Arsenal visit reigning champions Manchester City.
With plenty of big games also taking place in the hunt for European football and the battle against relegation, here's how 90min sees the weekend's action playing out.
Saturday 30 March
Bruno Fernandes
Man Utd visit Brentford on Saturday night / Stu Forster/GettyImages
Saturday's early kick-off could provide plenty of entertainment when West Ham travel to St James' Park to take on Newcastle. The Magpies suffered more injury blows during the international break but the Hammers are prone to shipping goals away from home.
Nottingham Forest can jump out of the relegation zone with victory over Crystal Palace, but the drama of their points deduction and subsequent appeal could result in another difficult afternoon for Nuno Espirito Santo.
Sheffield United picked up a draw last time out but wins are desperately required to avoid a swift return to the Championship. However, the Blades have only managed three all season and are more likely to be outplayed at Bramall Lane by visitors Fulham.
The Cottagers were superb in beating Tottenham, who will hope to get back on track in their top-four bid when they host Rob Edwards' spirited Luton Town. A ten-player Spurs squeezed their way to a 1-0 success in the reverse fixture and will want a more dominant margin of victory against the Hatters.
Bournemouth are unbeaten in three games, beating Burnley and Luton, and their strength in attack may help them overcome an Everton side who continuously spurn chances in front of goal.
Chelsea are still scrapping to ensure they finish in the top half and avoid doing any worse than their 12th-place effort last season. Burnley have conceded 14 goals in their last five away games and the Clarets may fall to another defeat at Stamford Bridge.
Aston Villa face a defining few months both domestically and in Europe. They've relapsed in home fixtures, being defeated in four of six games having lost just once at Villa Park up until late January, but Wolves are without both Hwang Hee-chan and Pedro Neto and might lack spark up front.
Manchester United managed to roll back the years in their FA Cup classic with Liverpool before the international break. There's still hope of a finish that could secure Champions League football next season, but games against the likes of injury-riddled Brentford - winless since early February - must result in victory for the Red Devils.
Kick-off Time (GMT)
Fixture & Prediction
12:30
Newcastle 2-2 West Ham
15:00
Nottingham Forest 1-2 Crystal Palace
15:00
Sheffield Utd 1-3 Fulham
15:00
Tottenham 3-1 Luton
15:00
Bournemouth 2-1 Everton
15:00
Chelsea 2-1 Burnley
17:30
Aston Villa 2-0 Wolves
20:00
Brentford 1-2 Man Utd
Sunday 31 March
FBL-ENG-FACUP-MAN CITY-NEWCASTLE
Man City have been dealt some injury blows / DARREN STAPLES/GettyImages
Sunday's fixtures are all about the Premier League title race - and Brighton.
The Seagulls provide the supporting cast to the other heavy-hitters in action but shouldn't be overlooked when they travel to Anfield. Brighton are unbeaten in their last three trips to Liverpool, who were on the wrong end of late drama at Old Trafford. The Reds, however, will hope the goals of Mohamed Salah can earn them victory to reach the summit of the table before the day's main event.
Manchester City were rocked by injury blows during the international break and there will be more than blind optimism in the Arsenal ranks before the clash at the Etihad. It'll be an enthralling encounter which could still end in joy for treble holders City, who haven't lost this fixture at home since January 2015.
Kick-off Time (BST)
Fixture & Prediction
14:00
Liverpool 3-2 Brighton
16:30
Man City 2-1 Arsenal
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