At a Glance:
- Yaya Toure claimed a current Manchester City player trumps Patrick Vieira.
- Toure revealed Vieira was his “idol.”
- The Ivorian claimed the Manchester City star is even better than him as a player.
Patrick Vieira is widely regarded as one of the Premier League’s greatest-ever midfielders for his illustrious nine-year spell at Arsenal.
Aside from being an elite player in his pomp, the Frenchman’s captaincy further emboldens his legacy, having taken the armband from Tony Adams in 2002 and led the club to their famous ‘Invincibles’ trophy in 2004.
Vieira is an Arsenal great and as far as midfielders are concerned, it would be fair to claim that the Gunners have never possesed a superior player than the World Cup winner in the middle of the park.
However, the English top-flight has been blessed with the presence of some of the greatest midfielders to have ever played the game, which leads fans to often debate the best of the best.
- READ MORE: Arsenal’s top 5 goalscorers of all time
Yaya Toure says Rodri is better than Patrick Vieira
One of them is none other than Yaya Toure, who was often compared to Vieira for combining world-class technical ability with sheer brute force to dominate a majority of his midfield battles.
Speaking to The High Performance Podcast, the Ivorian was quizzed about whether his ex-teammate at Manchester City is a better player than Rodri.
Toure replied: “No, that’s going to be complicated. That’s going to be difficult. Well, he was my idol.”
🚨🆕 Pour Yaya Touré, c’est simple, Rodri c’est le meilleur ! 🩵 pic.twitter.com/4AvSoqmYX7
— Blue Moon (@FRBlueMoon) April 14, 2026
“But I have to be honest. Rodri has scored more goals and things…okay, Rodri.”
Toure also claimed Rodri was a better midfielder than legendary figures such as N’Golo Kante, Casemiro, Roy Keane, Fernandinho, Claude Makelele, Xabi Alonso, John Obi Mikel, Paul Ince and himself.
Rodri vs Patrick Vieira stats in the Premier League
The former Barcelona maestro’s claim is likely to divide opinion among both Manchester City and Arsenal’s fanbases as Rodri and Vieira are era-defining players for their respective clubs.
One way to compare both players based on their time in the Premier League is by taking a look at their respective statistics.
| Premier League stats | Patrick Vieira | Rodri |
| Appearances | 307 | 194 |
| Goals | 31 | 23 |
| Assists | 34 | 21 |
| Titles won | 3 | 4 |
In Vieira’s case, his longevity trumps Rodri’s, which could very well be a fundamental reason why several fans and pundits alike might disagree with Toure’s opinion about the latter being a better player.
However, the Spaniard has won more league titles than the former Juventus powerhouse, despite having made 113 less appearances as well as a Ballon d’Or in English football.
Considering both Rodri and Vieira have thrived at both club and international level, perhaps it is best to state that once the former hangs up his boots, one can truly decide who stands out amongst the two.
