We’re now playing like Barca masters
DAVID SILVA believes Manchester City are playing football as brilliantly as Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona history-makers.
And the Spain midfielder is praying their imperious form will carry them to the club’s first Champions League title this season.
That would complete the ambition Silva has had ever since he rejected the chance to join Guardiola at the Nou Camp in 2010 and moved instead to the Etihad, where he hopes to sign a new contract that will extend his spell with the club to a decade.
Barcelona have been crowned kings of Europe twice since he snubbed them – in 2011 and 2015 – while City have made two exits from the group stage, three in the last-16 and one at the semi-final stage in his six bids for the biggest club prize.
But this season Silva says City are playing with the skill, pace and precision of the Barca team that won the Catalan club’s first treble of Champions League, La Liga and Copa Del Rey in Guardiola’s first season as manager in 2008-09 – giving them a great chance of completing the set of the game’s top prizes.
Ahead of tonight’s clash with Napoli here, Silva said: “We are playing the best football since I’ve been here and it is like that Barcelona team of 2009. We are playing beautiful football, scoring so many goals and creating a lot of chances.
“I pray every night to win the Champions League with City. It would be amazing. Hopefully we can do it this season.
“I think we are playing very well in all the lines – from the keeper to the striker – we know how to move every time. You can see it in every game. That is the best answer.”
Silva, 31, has been a huge hit since moving to English football from Valencia for £24million in 2010, creating 200 more chances than any other player in the Premier League in the past seven years.
But he believes this season he has taken his game to a new level, thanks to playing in a more central position.
Silva said: “It’s a good position for me. I love to play in the middle and be in contact with the ball all the time.
“To create chances you have to be more involved in games, so I’m very happy to play in that position.” However, Silva (4-3-3) (4-3-3) REINA EDERSON HYSAJ WALKER KOULIBALY STONES ALBIOL OTAMENDI GHOULAM DELPH ALLAN DE BRUYNE JORGINHO FERNANDINHO HAMSIK D SILVA CALLEJON STERLING MERTENS AGUERO INSIGNE SANE REFEREE: F Brych (Ger) KICK-OFF: 7.45 TV: BT Sport 3 warned that City – who have won 14 of their 15 games in all competitions this season – face their toughest test yet of their unbeaten record tonight in the intimidating San Paolo Stadium.
City had to dig in for a 2-1 win against the Serie A leaders at the Etihad a fortnight ago, while for Napoli it is a must-win game after losing two of their first three group games.
Silva is the only survivor from the starting line-up when City lost to Napoli in 2011, their first season in the Champions League.
“We lost so I don’t have good memories of this stadium. Hopefully that will change tomorrow,” he said.
“But Napoli are a really good team. It’s difficult to keep the high intensity of the game against them because they play like us, so we have to try tomorrow to keep it as long as possible to win the game. That’s the key point.” As for his contract talks, he said: “We are still talking. I hope I can sign soon because I would love to be here and play for City for 10 years.” Guardiola regrets not landing Silva at Barcelona in the summer of 2010 when he was too expensive, but he is delighted to be making up for lost time now. “David is a master of keeping the ball when under pressure,” he said. “Off the pitch, he’s shy and doesn’t talk too much, but when he goes on the pitch he’s a huge personality.
“It’s never one step back, in the bad moments he always makes a step forward, he is a legend at this club.
“It would have been a pleasure to take him for Barcelona but he was so expensive.”
Napoli boss Maurizio Sarri wants his club’s notoriously vociferous fans to turn up the volume tonight in a bid to unnerve City.
“Playing at home is an advantage for us with our great fans. I want to see some fear on their faces,” he said.