In their latest 3-1 victory against West Ham United, Manchester City showcased once again why they are a joy to watch.
Pep Guardiola’s men put in a display worth applauding at the London Stadium.
Manchester City had 69% possession, took 23 shots in total, took and conceded eight and two shots on target respectively and even recorded a pass accuracy of 92%.
West Ham certainly looked like they could have scored more than a single goal but all in all, City’s dominance shone through — creating chances for fun, playing intricate yet direct football and Erling Haaland putting in a masterful showing to cap off their well-deserved win.
Considering Julen Lopetegui’s side have arguably had the best transfer window out of any team in the Premier League — an away trip in East London will likely be a daunting prospect for most teams in the country.
Especially considering the likes of Jean-Clair Todibo, Niklas Fullkrug, Crysencio Summerville and Luis Guilherme are yet to even start a league game yet.
But the visitors won their second away game out of their three league outings so far this season.
Pearce makes fresh Bernardo Silva admission after Man City beat West Ham
While Haaland was in the spotlight in the aftermath of the contest and unsurprisingly so, there were other Manchester City players who impressed against the Irons.
Bernardo Silva was certainly one of them — assisting the Norwegian’s opener — much like he did against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
The £43 million man’s statistics from the contest emphasise how brilliant he was — making four key passes, creating two big chances, completeing 93% of his passes (68/73) while also getting an assist — as per Sofascore.
The 30-year-old started his third league game in succession, drifting in between an attacking midfield role and sitting in the double pivot alongside Mateo Kovacic before going on to play on the right-wing after Ilkay Gundogan’s introduction.
Stuart Praised singled Bernardo out for praise after Manchester City got the all-important three points against West Ham and made a revelation about his admiration for the man.
Pearce told Premier League Productions (19:29, 31/08/2024): “Bernardo Silva does all the right things in the game. I just love watching this fella and he’s my favourite player in the Premier League bar none.
“Haaland will keep scoring if he’s got the likes of [Kevin] De Bruyne, [Ilkay] Gungodan and Silva behind him.”
- READ MORE: Who is Bernardo Silva? Try to keep up with Man City’s £43m all-action hero who just never stops
Bernardo Silva was a joy to watch against West Ham
In some ways, Bernardo put in a display against West Ham that sums him as a player — inventive, multifaceted and energetic.
From clipping a cross for Haaland from the left flank in the opening quarters to sliding in to make a tackle on the right-wing and also dribbling inside the box, the Portuguese maestro was omnipresent on Saturday.
The former AS Monaco attacker also played a crucial role in helping Manchester City build out from the back and some of the astute positions he took freed Kovacic up to pick the ball up in space.
Bernardo is one of the most well-rounded players in the Premier League and over the years, he has seemingly relished such away trips to tough grounds.
Once again, the six-time Premier League winner was incredible both in and out of possession and seven years into his time at Manchester City, his importance to the side cannot be understated.
