Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva just show Arsenal pepper for one important Premier League match wey end 2-1. The Portuguese playmaker na the main man wey make City win, and now Pep Guardiola dey talk say e go miss am well well as e prepare to leave Etihad this summer.
Bernardo, wey be 31 years old, confirm last week say this na him last season with Manchester City. But before e go, e wan make sure City collect Premier League title again. Him performance against Arsenal na proof say e still get power.
Pep Guardiola no be person wey dey talk plenty praise for players, but for Bernardo, e dey talk anyhow. “I just feel gratitude, if I talk a lot, one day I’ll cry,” Guardiola talk for press conference. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you for what you have done. Bernardo proves football starts here,” e add, as e point to him head.
The City boss talk say without Bernardo, him nine years for City for go different. “He’s special,” Guardiola yarn. E even joke before say e wish say e fit field 11 Bernardo Silvas for match.
For the Arsenal match, Bernardo no just dey with ball. E dey do plenty work wey people no dey see. When Rayan Cherki score the first goal, na Bernardo’s run wey cause confusion for Arsenal defenders. When Kai Havertz wan score 1v1 with Gianluigi Donnarumma, na Bernardo lean on am make e lose balance.
Even when Martin Odegaard dey run with ball, Bernardo follow am. And when Arsenal dey press City for last minutes, na Bernardo use him head clear ball from Viktor Gyokeres. Erling Haaland see that one and compare am to Italian defender Fabio Cannavaro.
Bernardo don win six Premier League titles with City, and e don equal David Silva record of 214 wins for City shirt. Only Rodri and Erling Haaland for the team fit understand title race like Bernardo.
What make Bernardo special na him intelligence. E no be tall person, e no dey do gym like other players. E joke with Ruben Dias last week say “I don’t do gym – that’s for the guys that don’t know how to play with the ball.”
But positionally, Bernardo dey always correct. E cover 327km this season – 40km more than Haaland wey be second. E pass ball well well, only Matheus Nunes pass am for number of completed passes this season. And no City player try pass ball enter final third pass Bernardo’s 583 attempts.
Haaland talk say Bernardo na “the smartest player he has ever played with.” Gary Neville compare am to Paul Scholes wey dey control game for Manchester United during their successful era.
As Bernardo dey prepare to leave City this summer, e dey show say e still get value. Him ability to control game, speed am up or slow am down na wetin make City dey chase title again. Pep Guardiola know say e go hard to replace player like Bernardo, just like e go hard replace Kevin De Bruyne.
For now, Bernardo dey focus on helping City win another Premier League title before e go. Him performance against Arsenal show say e still get plenty to offer, even as e prepare to write last chapter for him City career.
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