Pep Guardiola hails "irreplaceable" Man City midfielder after starring in Man Utd win

Pep Guardiola hailed the “irreplaceable” Bernardo Silva after his starring role in Manchester City’s dominant derby win at Old Trafford. 

Erling Haaland scored twice and laid on the third for Phil Foden in the 3-0 win but it was Silva who ran the show for City. And after seeing his side breeze past their fierce rivals Guardiola was full of praise for his Portuguese star. 

“I could be 10 minutes talking about what Bernardo means for me and for our team,” the City boss told Sky Sports. “He’s a player that is beyond good in all departments. We are in love with him.”

There was talk of Silva leaving in the summer, with Barcelona potential suitors, and Guardiola admitted it was a huge relief all round that he stayed at the Etihad Stadium. 

Asked why the midfielder sometimes goes under the radar, the City boss said: “The problem is there’s no tattoos, no big cars and he maybe doesn’t dress in high style. He’s humble and everybody loves him in the locker room. We were scared to lose him, he’s irreplaceable. I know he’s happy here, he’s a father, is set up perfectly. 

“He told me that he loves to play at Old Trafford and every time we come here he plays really well.”