Pep Guardiola has now admitted that Bernardo Silva reminded him of Lionel Messi as Manchester City recorded a 6-1 win over Bournemouth.
The Spaniard was quoted by Simon Bajkowski of the Manchester Evening News.
So, what did Pep Guardiola say about Bernardo Silva? Let’s take a look…
What’s the story?
Well, the Spaniard was blown away by the Manchester City No.20’s performance against the Cherries.
Guardiola called Silva an “extraordinary” footballer, while comparing his second goal to something Messi does regularly.
The 52-year-old said: “The goal reminded me of Messi. I saw many times Leo in that position and did this chip in. He’s an extraordinary player.”
That is lofty praise – to say the least.
Silva now has three goals and two assists in eight Premier League appearances so far this season.
Bernardo Silva has found his rhythm at Manchester City this season
The 29-year-old endured something of a stuttering start to the 2023/24 campaign after picking up an injury early on into the season.
However, there is no doubt that Silva has now found his groove.
The £43.6m man was utterly outstanding against Manchester United – drawing praise from Gary Neville – and he followed that up with another brilliant display as Bournemouth were hammered at the Etihad Stadium.
As WhoScored shows, Silva registered three key passes to go with his two goals, and also recorded a pass success rate of 92.7% against the Cherries. It was a truly masterful performance, to say the least.
Paul Merson seems to believe Rodri makes Silva play better – providing an “insurance policy” behind him – and there is certainly an argument to be had there.
Nevertheless – even when the Spain international is not around – the Portuguese maestro is undoubtedly one of the best footballers in Europe.
Hopefully, Silva can keep shining for Manchester City, and also avoids another spell in the treatment room.
