Bernardo Silva has put Manchester City’s improvement down to finally defending ‘properly’ and claimed that the full reintroduction of John Stones can make them a more complete unit.
City have kept six clean sheets during a nine-game unbeaten run that has them three points off Arsenal in the Premier League and in the Champions League’s top eight.
Gianluigi Donnarumma’s strong start to life as No 1 has offered an extra layer of solidity but Silva believes that Pep Guardiola’s side are returning to the fundamentals that helped them dominate English football.
‘We’ve found a bit more of our rhythm,’ Silva said before City go to Aston Villa on Sunday. ‘We found the stability at the back. That gives the freedom for the guys at front to play in a different way.
‘I always say that when you’re stable at the back, when the team defends properly – and we’re now defending quite well – then that’s when you can win football games.
‘That’s what we didn’t have for a long time last season, and that’s what we’re getting back to, having that stability.’
Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva has praised his side’s new-found stability at the back
Silva believes that the reintroduction of John Stones can help City become more complete
Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias have been Guardiola’s centre back pairing of choice so far this season, with Nico O’Reilly excelling at left back in the absence of Rayan Ait-Nouri. The performances of Matheus Nunes on the right are improving.
Stones is being eased back into action after injury in September, starting City’s last two European matches, including a stellar display in Villarreal on Tuesday during which he bossed midfield.
He missed 36 club games last season across four different spells out and admitted during the Club World Cup that retirement had crossed his mind amid a lengthy spell out with a hamstring problem.
‘John gives us something that is difficult to find in terms of a central defender,’ Silva added. ‘It’s my ninth season at Man City and when John is fit, the team always plays much better. It’s not a coincidence.
‘He’s a special player. He just needs to take care of his body and make sure that he’s available. Because I’m pretty sure that if he’s available, he’s going to be really important for us.’
Silva scored a stunning volley the last time City won at Villa in 2021, with the last three visits ending in two defeats and a draw.
That record will need correcting if City are to continue their momentum, with Villa’s resurgence blunted by a shock Europa League defeat at Go Ahead Eagles on Thursday night.
‘We’re happy with the momentum, but (we’ve) still a long way to go,’ the City captain said. ‘It’s just one month that we were quite good. If we want to be successful this season, we need to keep it that way for much longer than just one month.’
