Guardiola hails Silva’s performance in unfamiliar role against Chelsea

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has hailed Bernardo Silva’s performance in their 1-0 Premier League win at Chelsea at the weekend, the Portugal international impressing in a deeper-lying central midfield role.

Silva, who usually operates as an attacking midfielder, featured in a deeper role with Rodri and played a vital part in City’s victory at Stamford Bridge as they moved up to second.

“What a player. What a performance,” Guardiola said in comments published on City’s website late on Sunday.

“He’s so intuitive, it’s not his role as a holding midfielder but he knows perfectly (and) anticipates what is going to happen, with and without the ball.”

Silva was an integral part of Guardiola’s title-winning squad last season and the 27-year-old also starred in the 2018-19 campaign when the Spanish manager won his second league title at Etihad.

“I’ll never forget the second Premier League we won with 98 points, he was the best player in England,” Guardiola said.

“After that, he dropped a little bit, but now he’s back and hopefully he can help us.

“At the end, if he wants to leave, all I can say is the guy at the club who takes Bernardo is taking one of the best players in the world.”

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.