Pep Guardiola may claim Manchester City wouldn't dare sully themselves with the dark arts.
But new signing Rodri has admitted one of his ongoing tasks since moving to Liverpool's main Premier League title rivals is learning when to do tactical fouls.
City's propensity for halting opponents before a counter-attack can gain momentum became a talking point last season.
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was one of several high-profile names to notice, speaking ahead of the most recent Manchester derby in April.
"When we win it, we have to be ready for their aggression because they will snap at your ankles and heels, and kick you," he said.
"They will not allow us easy counter-attacking. There will be fouls, no doubt about it, because they commit so many players forward and will be stopping us as high as they can.”
Guardiola, though, countered strongly.
“Never have my teams been focused on doing something wrong against the opponents," said the City boss.
"Sometimes situations happen but we are a team that always try to attack, to defend well, to try to play our game but never having to think about making actions like that."
However, in an interview with ESPN FC, summer arrival Rodri - who has already declared Liverpool the best team in England and Europe - has revealed his new manager is teaching him how to tactically foul.
“I think it’s a big challenge for me because I never used to play this position particularly,” he said, when asked about play in defensive midfield.
“I didn’t have this exact role in the team (at Atletico Madrid).
“I am learning new things, how to go, when to stay, when I have to do a tactical foul, when I have to jump.”
Tactical fouls are nothing new, having always been a part of the game, if not a particularly welcome one. It is often a selfless act for the player, usually resulting in a booking. For Liverpool, Fabinho is the most likely culprit.
And it turns out Manchester City are really the same as everybody else - no matter what Guardiola insists.
