Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva was in action for Portugal last night ahead of next weekend’s Premier League clash against Arsenal.
After scoring both of City’s goals in their 2-0 win over Newcastle United in the FA Cup last weekend, the 29-year-old joined up with his international teammates for the latest break in the domestic season.
As Roberto Martinez’s side beat Sweden 5-2 in yesterday’s friendly match, the City star showed why he is an important player for his country and why he is so highly thought of by Pep Guardiola.
Silva shines in Portugal win
Playing through the full 90 minutes, Silva had 55 touches of the ball in total and was able to accurately complete 43 of the 47 passes he attempted, leaving him with a pass accuracy percentage of 91%, the joint-second-highest in the team.
In terms of his attacking efforts, the City star made three key passes in total, provided the assist for Matheus Nunes’ goal and even hit the woodwork.
In addition to that, the midfielder was able to make one tackle and one interception as well as winning four of the seven duels he was involved in, which shows how useful he can be off the ball on top of being an attacking threat.
This performance ultimately earned Silva, who City paid £43m to sign back in 2017, a solid overall match rating of 7.3/10 from SofaScore.
Bearing in mind how Guardiola said back in April that Silva is one of the best players he has ever coached, this latest international display from the midfielder showed why the City boss is such an admirer of him.
Moving forward, once the latest international break comes to an end, the Citizens will face off against Arsenal for one of their biggest Premier League games of the campaign.
With both sides aiming to lift the trophy at the end of the season, this will undoubtedly be a game that Silva will need to be at his best if he wants to help his side secure what would be a crucial win for the Blues.
