FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Crystal Palace - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - December 16, 2023 Manchester City's Rodri misses a chance to score REUTERS/Carl Recine/File Photo
(Reuters) - The Club World Cup has given Manchester City a break from their recent poor form in the Premier League and the players are determined to put in the hard work and turn results around, midfielder Rodri said.
City have won only one of their last six league games and have dropped to fourth, five points behind leaders Arsenal, but the treble winners have booked their spot in the Club World Cup final with Tuesday's 3-0 victory over Urawa Red Diamonds.
European champions City, who also won the UEFA Super Cup this year, have missed the influence of injured Belgian playmaker Kevin De Bruyne while a foot problem has denied them the services of goal machine Erling Haaland recently.
While manager Pep Guardiola said De Bruyne, who has made only one league appearance this season due to a hamstring injury, has returned to training, but Haaland remains out.
The duo will miss Friday's final against Brazilian side Fluminense.
"We have to give our best to try to win everything because it will be history. It would be an amazing run if we end with five titles," Rodri said.
"(The last few games) left a very bad feeling in the changing room for us, so I think it was good for us to stop a little bit and then come here to the (Club) World Cup.
"When you're in that moment you're in this mixture of feeling that you have failed and dropping points. It's a time when you can't speak much, you have to be quiet, work as hard as you can and results will come out."
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
