Erling Haaland heads into the Manchester derby riding the wave of a five-goal haul, Kevin De Bruyne is assisting like he’s never been away, and Phil Foden is in red-hot form as a matchwinner in his own right.
Bernardo Silva will be licking his lips.
The 29-year-old, a firm Pep Guardiola favourite, positively thrives while his Manchester City teammates ahead of him take the headlines, with October’s reverse fixture against Manchester United a prime example.
Haaland scored twice and assisted the other for Foden in the dominant 3-0 win, placing the Norwegian on many a back page, but in fact it was Silva who earned the man of the match award for a (once more) tireless, intelligent performance further back as he pulled the strings in De Bruyne’s absence at Old Trafford.
“We are in love with him,” Guardiola said. “I could stay here and talk for 10 minutes on what Bernardo Silva means for me and our team. He is a player that is beyond good in all departments – solidarity, intelligence, he understands everything.”
A star turn just five months ago means Manchester United will therefore not simply forget about Silva.
However, it is not so much a case of whether Erik ten Hag has a plan for the Portuguese playmaker, but whether his side have the tools and personnel to stop him while concentrating primarily on blockading the De Bruyne-Haaland link-up.
And, after all, how do you mark a shadow?
Silva’s touch maps boast dots spread across the pitch like a Roy Lichtenstein painting. He gets everywhere, consistently covering a greater distance per match than any of his teammates.
He can play virtually anywhere, too. “Except ‘keeper,” Guardiola quipped, on account of his 5ft 8ins frame, but this season alone he has started as a centre-forward and defensive midfielder, and everywhere in between.
Last term, Silva bent to Guardiola’s will and shone in three straight league games as left-back, including against Arsenal, where he was tasked with marking Bukayo Saka in a match City crucially won 3-1.
“The craziest thing he [Guardiola] asked me to do was probably play on the wing at the Emirates against Saka,” Silva reflected to A Bola.
“Having to play that game against one of the best wingers in the league was the moment I will remember forever in my career. And I loved it, I loved it. In the end it was tough, but it was a great challenge, which I loved.”
No wonder Guardiola loves Silva, who has played more games since his arrival in 2017-18 than any other City player. “He’s one of the best players I’ve ever seen in my life,” Guardiola added after that win at United in October. “I’ve trained a lot and he’s one of the best.”
Some praise from the man who has coached Barcelona and Bayern Munich greats, and a host of City legends, too.
Silva, one day, could well be viewed in the same light. Perhaps he already should be, for there are utility players, and then there is Silva.
Versatile squad members can easily be dismissed, overlooked in every position and resigned to substitute appearances, but not him – and what a luxury that is for Guardiola to have, knowing perhaps the last unanswered role on his teamsheet can be filled by one of his first picks. That may seem paradoxical, but when talking about Silva, it just about makes sense.
“He [Guardiola] knows I will do everything to help the team in whatever position,” Silva said, in Manchester City’s own interview, a 10-minute “masterclass” on YouTube with one of the Premier League’s arguably most underrated players.
“Understanding the game, I like to think that’s what makes me able to play different positions,” Silva adds. “The tactical side of the game, that’s my biggest quality.
“I don’t score a lot. Or assist. But I do a bit of everything, attacking, defending. My teammates make fun of me, saying I’m an attacking defender.”
He may be shy on goals compared to his teammates – how much does that matter with Haaland in the side? – but as Silva points out himself, he has contributed when it matters.
In the Champions League last season he scored once in the quarter-final against Bayern Munich and then twice in the semis against Real Madrid. A crucial contribution to the Treble cause.
And then there’s his love for playing United. In 2019 he scored the opener in City’s 2-0 league win at Old Trafford. In 2020 he scored the opener in City’s Carabao Cup semi-final win at Old Trafford. In 2021 he scored the second of City’s 2-0 win at Old Trafford.
He loves Old Trafford, specifically, and though Sunday’s derby is at the Etihad, do not be surprised if Silva shines brightest again. The guy is a genius, world class, and has already proved that he can be the difference.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/Ud3LGhb
Post a Comment