Rodri's absence leaves City and Silva looking tarnished

Bernardo Silva was back at the scene of perhaps his greatest goal for Manchester City and Pep Guardiola was eulogising one of his favourite footballers.

- RICHARD JOLLY

Once he could savour a spectacular volley at Villa Park. Now, in defeat, it was his willingness to work and his adaptability that drew the latest of many tributes. “Bernardo is a special player for me; how he put his heart in those positions,” said Guardiola. “He is an incredible example for us, how he behaves. He plays attacking midfielder, holding midfielder, always defensively making an incredible effort.”

It hasn’t been a vintage season for Silva. And yet, unlike in past years, he would get in the City team three times: besides his normal berth on the right wing, he probably represents the best available option in this depleted, invariably defeated group as a No 8 and, as the only candidate with sufficient mobility, as the holding midfielder. If Guardiola could clone the Portuguese, he surely would. In a spell that has shown there are limits to his powers, he has a solitary Silva and he has overworked him. A diminutive figure can seem smaller as he is run into the ground.

It was telling that Silva finished Saturday’s 2-1 loss to Aston Villa as City’s deepest midfielder. The two men who have generally filled that role since Rodri was injured, Ilkay Gundogan and Mateo Kovacic, were both taken off. Each had been unable to deal with Youri Tielemans, to prevent him from playing defence splitting passes, and Morgan Rogers, to halt his driving runs. Each goal could be traced to the lack of a genuine defensive midfielder.