The best teams prepare for the future and aren’t just content by dealing with the present.

When Manchester City brought in Bernardo Silva from AS Monaco last season it was a deal that looked towards the future. That’s why Pep Guardiola didn’t regularly start the Portuguese internationalist in the Premier League in the player’s debut season, he made just fifteen starts last term and came off the bench a further twenty times.

I think that was Pep’s way of getting Bernardo used to the English game, the way City play and so he could watch and learn from fellow technical wizards David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne.

Bernardo Silva still shone last year; scoring six top flight goals and creating four assists. He was great on the ball, strong in possession and has an eye for a key pass.

This season has seen Silva become a more integral part of the City starting line-up. He’s stepped up with De Bruyne missing much of this campaign and Bernardo has already made twenty-one starts in the league.

His performances have been of the highest standard. He’s grabbed five strikes and set up six assists. According to Whoscored; the attacking midfielder has a 86.5% passing success rate, taking 1.4 shots per game and making nearly 2 key passes per outing.

In previous seasons Man City have crumbled when De Bruyne or David Silva dropped out of the team due to injuries. That’s not been as much of an issue this year, with the Portuguese magician on hand to take on the team’s main creating duties from midfield.

The twenty-four year old is also versatile enough to play in the centre or on the right, excelling in both roles. He also doesn’t moan about ideal positions or when he was benched last season. He isn’t scared of getting stuck in and is usually a player that sets the game’s tempo.

Leading into tonights important Premier League fixture with Everton, Guardiola told The Manchester Evening News how influential Bernardo Silva has become this season:

“To drop Bernardo right now is impossible, it’s him and ten more players,”

“Every single game he’s been perfect. we take a decision on the movement, the way he leads the game, involved in all.”

That’s a huge compliment from Pep and shows you how far Silva has come since arriving in 2017.

If The Citizens beat The Toffees tonight they’ll regain top spot in the league, at least until Liverpool’s next fixture this weekend.

For me, Bernardo Silva has been integral in Manchester City staying in the title challenge. The maestro has kept City ticking and has given the midfield consistent closely performances.

Pep Guardiola has managed him brilliantly and has been rewarded this term with the type of performances that will see City challenging for silverware this year!

Posted on February 6th, 2019 by scott
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