Man City star Rodri fires back at Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone over claim that 'nobody is defending' in the Premier League

The Argentine manager asserted that no Premier League clubs prioritise defending, citing entertaining scorelines like Chelsea's 4-4 draw against City.

“You see English football now and the matches finish 4-4, 5-3, 6-2, or 5-1, which is fantastic for the fans,” Simeone said. “Like Chelsea against Manchester City. These are all games that are fun to watch, but nobody is defending!”

However, his former pupil, Rodri, does not agree with Simeone and offered an alternative discourse.

Speaking to Cadena Ser Rodri argued: “I disagree a little bit. Not all teams play in the same way, but against Man City there are a lot of teams who look to defend for 90 minutes. Of course, this is not always the case and for other matches there will be more open spaces, but it is a tough league with strong defences.”

City often comes up against deep-lying defences in the Premier League as teams try to hold their shape against their lethal attack headed by a goal machine in Erling Haaland. Nonetheless, the debate sparks conversations about the evolving nature of football tactics and the balance between offensive flair and defensive solidity in the Premier League.

Rodri will be in action against Cyprus with Spain in a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier. Whereas, Diego Simeone will return to Atletico's dugout when they host Mallorca in La Liga on November 25.