SILVA PITIES MOUR GRIEF

MANCHESTER CITY midfielder Bernardo Silva paid tribute to Jose Mourinho – and then warned the Manchester United boss that his title dream will be over if he loses today’s derby.

The 24-year-old Portuguese international reckons his compatriot Mourinho has put their nation on the football map during a glittering coaching career that has brought him to Old Trafford.

But United go into today’s derby trailing Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions by nine points.

And Silva (below) reckons there will be no way back for the Reds if they suffer their fourth defeat of the season at the Etihad.

Silva said: “Mourinho represents our country in a very good way. It’s good for us, as a small country, that we have people like Cristiano Ronaldo and Mourinho representing us at a high level.

“I am like all Portuguese people in that I admire Mourinho a lot. But how many points are United behind us? I think it’s nine.

“And I just think, looking at the title race from this point, that, if they are already nine points, then it is already more difficult for them to play for the title than probably Liverpool, Chelsea, Man City or even Tottenham or Arsenal.

“I think that, not because Man United are not a very good team, but because it is already very difficult for them.

“It would be even worse for them if they were 12 points behind us – so we will try to make that happen.

“We will try to win the game – not only to have a bigger distance to United, but also to try to keep the first position.

“We want to keep the distance to Liverpool, to Chelsea and to the other contenders.”

City lead the table by two points and are on course to eclipse last season’s recordbreaking campaign.

Guardiola’s side have already scored 33 goals in their first 11 games and conceded just four goals.