Pep Guardiola said he would consider playing Rodri at centre-back in future after moving him there for the second half of the win over Sheffield United.
The summer signing from Atletico nearly didn't start at all after being exhausted from the Wolves game but was excellent as Manchester City saw out 2019 with a 2-0 win over an impressive Blades side.
After a goalless first half, Guardiola tweaked his team and - as Eric Garcia has done at Wolves - Rodri became the main centre-back with Garcia and Fernandinho either side of him and Aleks Zinchenko and Kyle Walker pushing on.
City's manager played Rodri alongside Fernandinho in a four-man defence against Crystal Palace and Dinamo Zagreb earlier in the season and likes what the Spaniard brings to the position.
While injuries and a demanding schedule have meant there hasn't been time to train him up adequately in the position, Guardiola was pleased with how he looked at the back against Sheffield United and said after the game that he would consider using him there again.
"We played a back four against Crystal Palace with a back four and Rodri was good but we didn't have many training sessions to play with him in this position with this marvellous schedule and fixtures," he said.
"Of course he can play in this position but he has to learn some movements that need to be practised and so far we couldn't do that."
