Premier League: Manchester City 1-0 Leicester City - 5 Talking Points and Tactical Analysis

#4. A day of contrasting fortunes for Bernardo and David Silva

Bernardo (R) was again scintillating

Pep Guardiola sprung a surprise with his Starting XI when he named Foden alongside David Silva and Ilkay Gundogan in midfield. The inclusion of the Englishman meant that his Spanish teammate was entrusted with the responsibility of carving out opportunities for City.

However, for a change, Silva wasn’t at the races and had a sub-standard outing at the Etihad.

The Spaniard gave the ball away at times while his attempted through balls were cut off easily on other occasions. Though the early booking curtailed his game a touch, he still looked jaded and uncharacteristically bereft of ideas.

Fortunately for City though, Bernardo Silva had another wonderful day at the office. Starting on the right flank, the Portuguese looked lively and tied Ben Chilwell in knots throughout the game.

Moreover, his expert positioning allowed Kyle Walker to bombard the right flank and create instances of numerical superiority in the wide areas.

Though the midfielder failed to notch up an assist or a goal, he was a constant thorn in the Foxes’ side with his mazy dribbling and propensity to track down every ball.

Over the course of the season, Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling have garnered all the plaudits courtesy their goal-scoring exploits and rightly so.

Yet, one can’t help but wonder if City would’ve come so close to success without a certain Portuguese in their ranks. And on Monday, Bernardo showcased exactly why he is one of the first names on the team sheet these days.