Pep eager for brilliant Bernardo to stay a Blue!
PEP Guardiola is hoping Bernardo Silva’s inspired form for City will change his mind about wanting to leave next summer.
The Portuguese was again outstanding as the Blues beat Burnley to remain hot on the heels of the Premier League top two Chelsea and Liverpool, following on from top-class displays as they earned four points from tough away days against the title rivals before the international break.
Bernardo has wanted to leave the club for the past two summer windows, hankering for a move back to his homeland or possibly to Spain, but the lack of a buyer willing to meet City’s £50m-plus valuation has forced him to stay put.
Despite that, Bernardo has been exceptional this season and the hope is he is enjoying his football so much that it could change his mind about wanting to go.
Guardiola has said the club would not stand in his way if the right offer came in, but he would also love to keep him.
“We know how we want him, how we love him,” said the manager after Bernardo scored the opener against the Clarets.
“But at the same time not just Bernardo, I said many times in my last press conference, I want the best of them.
“They have to be happy to be here to perform well. He is such an important player for us, he can play in four or five different positions and he is so intelligent, and intelligent players can play everywhere.
“There are players who can just play in this (one) position. He is a winger, or a striker, or a holding mifielder or a central defender.
“Bernardo is a football player and the football players can play anywhere and that’s why in this level.
“I know there will be lows in this season because it’s impossible to maintain this level throughout the season, but I encourage him to be like this because I am pretty sure that playing at this level he will be happier and happier and he will enjoy being here with us.”
Bernardo himself is determined to maintain momentum after re-establishing himself as one of City’s key players.
“It is tough when you don’t play the minutes that you want to,” said Bernardo.
“It happened with me, it’s happened with most of the players here. It’s how it works. You have to go and fight for your place.
“I am happy that I am helping the team and I am happy with the momentum, but it is just the beginning.
“We are still in October. We need to keep going, try to go top of the league, try to qualify for the next stage of the Champions League now we are third in the group. It is the beginning, but we are doing well.”
City had won their previous four home games against Burnley 5-0 and another comfortable success seemed likely when Bernardo struck after 12 minutes.
It did not turn out that way as the winless visitors to the Etihad Stadium showed a spirit and resilience that belied their poor early season form.
It took a 70th-minute strike from Kevin de Bruyne to wrap up a hard-fought victory that kept City third, two points behind leaders Chelsea.
Bernardo added: “It was a tough game. After the international break most of the games are tough to play.
“It is never easy to win right after everyone comes back but it is a good win, three points, and now on to the next one. We need points.”
City are next in action in the Champions League in Bruges tomorrow as the fixtures now start to ramp up after the international break.
Guardiola added: “My players always play good because they give everything and they gave it in a difficult game after the international break.
“Burnley are organised and you have to adjust and adapt to the way they play.
“I am so satisfied for the game we played and the victory we got.”
BERNARDO SILVA SHINES AGAIN
CITY’S 2-2 draw at Anfield a fortnight ago looked like a game between the best two sides in the league, and Liverpool enhanced their credentials by thumping Watford 5-0 in the early kick-off on Saturday.
Central to their dominance was more brilliance from Mo Salah, who looks to be in unstoppable form.
Pep Guardiola’s side has always been more about the collective, yet they still need moments of individual brilliance to make the difference in games when they are struggling to find a breakthrough.
That man increasingly looks like another leftfooted wizard as Bernardo Silva picked up where he left off before the international break.
In one particularly madcap incident he volleyed away a clearance from a corner to opposition goalkeeper Nick Pope just inside the Burnley half then, as everyone else waited for the ball to be pumped back in, the City dynamo sprinted half the pitch to close Pope down.
As important, though, was him popping up with the first goal. City need their players to chip in with as many as they can in the absence of a striker, and those that do score are more likely to stay in the team for the next game.
CITY OFF COLOUR BUT SHOW CHAMPION QUALITY
RAHEEM Sterling was given a start and failed to do much talking with his performance - but he was far from the only one. Kevin de Bruyne seemed to slow the team down whenever he got the ball in an uncharacteristically sluggish performance even if he did hammer home the second goal Riyad Mahrez was well below his best and Aymeric Laporte probably made more mistakes in this game than he has all season.
It wasn’t great, but the three points that were needed were still obtained. For all the fireworks from Liverpool earlier in the day, they won’t end the weekend any further ahead.
BRUGGE IN MIND
TELL me you’re prioritising Club Brugge without telling me you’re prioritising Club Brugge.
Guardiola did exactly that with his team selection against Burnley, leaving Ruben Dias and Kyle Walker to give John Stones and Nathan Ake the opportunity to impress.
With Ilkay Gundogan and Fernandinho also on the bench, it meant City had their fourth captain skippering for the day in De Bruyne.
As difficult as Burnley can be, the manager clearly has eyes on the Champions League group after suffering a rare defeat to PSG on their last outing in the competition.
Beat Brugge home and away and their mini table will look considerably less tricky.
CORNET PROVES A HANDFUL
GUARDIOLA has already had many a nightmare thanks to Maxwell Cornet.
The Ivorian scored three goals for Lyon against the Blues in two Champions League group games in 2018 and was also on the scoresheet in the 2020 quarter-final that should still haunt City on the back of them knocking Real Madrid out of the competition.
A summer signing for Burnley, Cornet gave City more problems with his pace and movement unsettling Joao Cancelo and forcing two good interventions from Zack Steffen in the first half.