City won’t

WHEN the dust settles on a victory that put Pep Guardiola’s men two points clear of Liverpool and 12 ahead of Manchester United, David Silva’s contribution will stand taller than any.

The midfielder was the heartbeat of a scintillating display from the champions, kick-starting a win with an early goal and pulling the strings as Sergio Aguero put them two up.

Anthony Martial pulled one back with a penalty but Ilkay Gundogan ended any hopes of a comeback after 86 minutes as City returned to the top of the Premier League.

Silva was so good that when he was withdrawn with three minutes of added time being signalled his team-mates en masse walked over to shake his hand as he left the field.

He was not alone. Aguero was superb, and Bernardo Silva and Fernandinho excellent. Between them they are building a AT THE ETIHAD taking a goal-kick. By the time City took the lead after 12 minutes, their rivals had attempted just 11 passes and found a team-mate five times.

The goal came from a typically slick move with a clever pass from Aguero in the inside-left channel setting free Raheem Sterling, who put the ball to the far post where Bernardo Silva volleyed it back to David Silva in front of the other post.

He took one touch, waited for the gaps to open up and then hammered it into the roof of the net.

Given the onslaught as City strove to kill the game early, United deserved credit for the way they responded, their midfield shield of Nemanja Matic and Maraoune Fellaini largely effective at cutting off the supply to City’s front three.

Mourinho’s tactics – to sit deep and strike on the break – had been dealt a blow by the absence of Paul Pogba, who sat in the stands after missing training with a “small injury”. Yet even with him, City