The Spain international says the players had to dig deep and be mentally strong on the back of the Bernabeu loss in order to refocus on the Premier League title race.
“The win against Newcastle was very important, not only for the points, but also for the emotional side of the team,” said Rodrigo.
“Now we have the focus on our next game which is going to be very demanding for us again, but we need to show the best performance to win again.”
Rodrigo has scored in each of the last three Premier League games for City, talking his tally to six for the season.
He says that, with the team often playing with a false No.9, it is vital that the goals are spread around the team.
“It’s nice to score goals and be important to the team in that aspect,” he said.
“In my case, I have more chances to score from the set pieces, but also during the game.
“I think we are a team without a striker that scores 30 goals, which means all of us need to contribute to scoring goals.
“It’s important for the team that the scoring job is not just one player’s responsibility, but the whole team.
“I always want to become a better player every season and the results will come along.”
Ahead of what will be his 100th Premier League appearance, Rodrigo – who is also just two games shy of 150 in all competitions – says he couldn’t be happier playing his football in England.
“Playing in the Premier League is incredible and even more so playing for Manchester City,” he said.
“We have shown it in the last few years in the competition.
“The Premier League is so demanding, so when you win the trophy, it is very rewarding and makes you feel proud.
“It’s great playing in this country of football, with all the passion from all the fans.”
And Rodrigo admits he hopes he can continue to add to his medal collection in the years ahead…
“Obviously, I want to win as many trophies as possible, but football is unpredictable, and you never know what’s going to happen,” he said.
“I just try to give my best every year and then football will bring you success.”
And in Liverpool, he says City have a rival for every competition, suggesting Jurgen Klopp’s side are the best team he has ever faced.
“I think it’s going to be difficult to find a team in the future at the level of the current Manchester City and Liverpool,” he said.
“We will see, but I think both teams have been built with two different styles of football, but are similar in terms of efficiency.
“Without a doubt, Liverpool is the best opponent I have ever faced.”
