Manchester City: Player Ratings for the FA Community Shield

Defensive Midfield: Rodri, 8/10

Manchester City’s new signing, Rodri, had a very strong competitive debut for the team.

Though he’s played only a few games with the team in the pre-season, Rodri looked like a natural fit in the team. His ball control and distribution were pin-point. He worked himself out of several tight situations and knew where to make the right pass to at all times.

His defensive work was excellent as well. He tracked back and covered for several of his teammates whenever they were left in the dust by Mohamed Salah. He projected a coolness and confidence that City have often lacked in that position when Fernandinho has been out of the side.

The sole blemish on his day was a poor first touch he had on a relatively poor pass from Kyle Walker that led to a good Liverpool goal-scoring chance.

There’s no doubt Pep Guardiola and the team are excited by his performance. He showed on Sunday that he’s ready to take on a starting role right away if asked to. You can see the talent that made him the heir-apparent to Fernandinho in the pivot role.

Center Midfield: Kevin De Bruyne, 7.5/10

Kevin De Bruyne had a pretty good game on Sunday too.

De Bruyne was one of the driving forces that led to many of City’s goal scoring chances, especially in the first half. On more than a few occasions, he made perfectly timed runs that got himself into an incredible amount of space to create chances.

What he did lack was in the execution of his final balls. He was just a fraction off with his timing and placement of passes today, a sign of someone working his way back into peak match sharpness.

He also trailed off in the second half as he began to tire. He struggled to make a consistent impact in the final 30 minutes he played on the pitch and was eventually subbed off due to cramps related to a lack of match fitness.

Though it was an uneven performance, he still deserves a high grade for his creativeness. He was that impactful when he was going in the first half.

Central Midfield: David Silva, 6.5/10

Out of the three starters in midfield, David Silva was the most anonymous.

Though he made an incredible pass that assisted the goal Raheem Sterling scored in the first half, Silva struggled to make any kind of consistent impact on the proceedings. He didn’t have many moments where he was intimately involved in the passing during the build-up of play, and he didn’t get a chance to do much creatively in the final third either.

Much of his work, as has been the case in the recent months, has been to help create space for others by playing tighter to the wingers or the center forward when he’s off the ball. That means he’s not as involved in the passing that occurs in the build-up of play before the final third as he used to be.

He was the first of City’s two attacking midfielders to be subbed off.

It was an okay performance. There will be better ones from him this season.

(SUB) Center Midfield: Ilkay Gundogan, 5/10

Ilkay Gundogan came on as a sub for David Silva in the second half. He definitely looked rusty when he came on!

Gundogan had a really rough go of it on the pitch. He had a few poor touches, and mis-placed several passes, especially in the final third. He did have a really fine direct pass that led to one of City’s only chances in the second half, but it was the lone positive moment he had in the game before the penalty shoot-out. City were unable to get any more control of the game with him out there than they had before he was brought on.

Gundogan did take his penalty (the opening one of the shoot-out for City) very well. That’s certainly great to see after he missed a penalty in a shoot-out earlier this pre-season.

Out of the players who were used in significant minutes today, Gundogan looked the furthest from being match-fit and match-sharp right now. He’ll certainly have better days ahead of him as he gets sharper in the coming weeks.

(SUB): Phil Foden, N/A

Phil Foden didn’t play enough minutes to warrant a grade, but he did look energetic when he came on late in the game as a sub. He helped City create a few decent chances before the expiration of added-time.

Foden was also given a shot to take a high-pressure penalty and nailed it! It was yet another example of how mature Foden is for age that he had the composure to bury a penalty in a game where a trophy was on the line.

Given how much sharper he looked than Gundogan, one wonders whether he may get the nod in the match-day 18 next weekend? He looks like he’s ready to take on whatever role City ask him to do.