It looked the hardest journey on what could prove his farewell tour. For Pep Guardiola, perhaps, but also for Bernardo Silva. The Manchester City midfielder had warned his teammates that defeat at Anfield could bring the end to their title challenge. “Maybe I’m more optimistic than them,” said Guardiola, when informed of his captain’s comments. It was a rare moment when Guardiola and Silva were not in harmony.
But if Silva ends the season, and potentially his City career, with his hands on the silverware, his own sense of urgency may be a reason why. Consider Silva’s reaction when equalising at Anfield; not celebrating but retrieving the ball from the net, running back to the halfway line. “Bernardo gave a signal to the whole club and the fans – let’s have it,” said Erling Haaland. “He wanted the second goal.” He got it, too, his pass releasing Matheus Nunes, who was upended for a penalty that Haaland converted.
A win was evidence of Silva’s drive. His goal had another significance, too: in the 84th minute of City’s 25th Premier League game, it was his first of the top-flight season. He scored when it mattered. He also scored the goal of a second striker, latching on to a header from a big centre-forward, or a box-crashing midfielder: yet, in his thirties, Silva operates deeper than before. It was the first time all season he had a shot that close to goal.
But he did what the situation demanded. That, more even than his ability on the ball, is why Guardiola loves him. “The team comes first,” he explained. “Guided by our incredible player, one of the best players I ever trained, our captain Bernardo. We follow him. I follow him, too. Because when a player always puts the team in front of him and does things through his own example, everybody follows him.”
It is why Silva is his handpicked captain. The Portuguese was the man who never gave up in the torrid times last season. Guardiola used to let his players vote for the skipper, but seemed to think democracy had failed when Kyle Walker, who canvassed for votes, bailed on City last winter. Walker and Guardiola always felt something of an odd couple. Silva is more of a soulmate for the Catalan.
Part of it is an appreciation for his technical talent. In 2023-24, when Phil Foden scored 27 goals, Guardiola would rather Rodri or Silva had been named Footballer of the Year. He wished Silva had won the individual awards in 2018-19, too, when Virgil van Dijk was instead celebrated.
That season produced an epic title race and another Silva masterclass against Liverpool. City beat them 2-1 in January 2019, a game notable for one small number and one large one. John Stones made a brilliant clearance when the ball was 11mm from crossing the line. Silva ran 13.7km, a wonderful blend of craft and graft. It was arguably his finest performance in a City shirt.
Seven years on, he has less dynamism. Indeed, last season, it was revealed that he had the slowest top speed of any outfield Premier League player. But he can still dart and wriggle away from opponents; he still keeps on going. Against Liverpool, Silva covered 12.84km. It was all the more remarkable as, four days earlier, Guardiola had described him as an “incredible doubt”. He had also said City needed big personalities at Anfield. Two of them come in huge physiques, Haaland and Gianluigi Donnarumma, and each was crucial.
Silva is the little man with the big heart. When he stood side by side with Van Dijk before kick-off or Haaland in post-match interviews, it illustrated how diminutive he is. But he is a big-match player, with the consistency Guardiola likes and the capacity to raise his game on key occasions.
Silva has never been defined by goals, and his unselfishness means he could have got more. But he has 75 in 441 games for City, an average of one just under every six. He can be more prolific on certain stages, though. In 21 matches against Liverpool, he has four goals and four assists. He is a Manchester derby specialist, with four goals and seven assists in 21 appearances. He has faced Real Madrid 11 times and scored four times. When such games end, it is often with the sense Silva has been the outstanding individual on the pitch.
“He is one of the best players I have ever trained with,” said Guardiola, who has spent almost two decades managing high-class footballers. “He is the perfect captain. It is a joy for me as a manager to have him. His contribution is massive, and he is one of the legends of this club.”
It is little wonder he has said he wants Silva to stay “forever”. It is tinged with the sense that he will not, that a man who long wanted to trade the Mancunian weather for a Mediterranean lifestyle may be off. But when Silva leaves, it may yet be as the latest member of a select group, alongside Vincent Kompany, Fernandinho, Ilkay Gundogan and Walker as City’s Premier League-winning captains.
