Manchester City's victory over Watford, currently positioned eighth in the Championship, provides little insight into how they will manage without Rodri, who is sidelined due to a serious knee injury. The true test of Pep Guardiola's strategy and the senior player entrusted to fill Rodri's role in midfield will likely be revealed during Saturday's match against Newcastle. In this encounter, 19-year-old Nico O'Reilly made his first competitive start, taking up the No 6 position previously held by the esteemed Spaniard. While O'Reilly's performance was tidy and may have earned him a spot in future match-day squads, it remains to be seen how he fares against stronger opposition.
The match began with a swift City goal within the first five minutes, courtesy of a clinical finish by Jérémy Doku. After Watford's defensive lapse, James McAtee spun and fed Jack Grealish, who then angled the ball to Doku. The Belgian skillfully maneuvered past James Morris and beat Jonathan Bond, the visiting goalkeeper. Guardiola had previously joked about the 6ft 2in O'Reilly's height, contrasting him with the shorter academy products Rico Lewis and Oscar Bobb. O'Reilly's touch to Lewis inside Watford's defense echoed Rodri's style, surprising the right-back with its finesse.
O'Reilly's snap-tackle on Imrân Louza, which set City on the attack, would have pleased Guardiola, though a subsequent attempt to dribble that led to a loss of possession would not have met the manager's approval. Guardiola made nine changes from the previous match against Arsenal, with Kaden Braithwaite becoming the club's third youngest debutant at 16 years and 229 days. Braithwaite was barged aside by Kwadwo Baah, leading to a controversial equalizer call by referee David Webb. A foul on Phil Foden, however, was a clear infringement, and Foden's subsequent free-kick was blocked by Watford's wall.
Ten minutes before halftime, Matheus Nunes scored a remarkable goal, capitalizing on Watford's dawdling defense. Guardiola's well-drilled team had their opponents on the back foot, facing a relentless blue onslaught. Had Vakoun Bayo not missed an easy header just before halftime, the managers' team talks would have been markedly different. Savinho, who had previously set up Erling Haaland's opener against Arsenal, played the second half, with Doku being substituted. Link-play involving Savinho led to a corner, but McAtee's pass to Lewis was miscontrolled, allowing Watford to break downfield.
Lewis then delivered a perfect pass to McAtee, but his touch was clumsy, and Bond collected the ball. City continued to press, with Foden's twisting efforts earning two corners. Savinho's shot hit the side-netting, and Grealish probed Watford's defense. The sight of Ruben Dias, Bernardo Silva, and Mateo Kovacic warming up provided no comfort to Watford, but a corner claimed by Louza saw his wild volley miss the target. Moments later, Nunes and Lewis came close to scoring, and Tom Ince cleared Savinho's shot off the line. The match was intense, with Watford's Baah narrowly missing a close-range shot.
At the other end, Savinho hit Bond's right post, drawing gasps from the crowd. O'Reilly's night ended with Jacob Wright replacing him, and Braithwaite was substituted soon after, with Josko Gvardiol taking his place. Grealish's close-range shot was saved by Bond, and despite Ince's curled strike from distance, the result remained unchanged.
