Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola was all praise for playmaker David Silva, acknowledging the 33-year-old as one of the best players he has ever seen after the Spaniard starred in his 400th appearance for the club, where they thrashed Bournemouth 3-1.

Silva on Sunday broke the Bournemouth defence to set up Raheem Sterling to make it 2-0 for the Premier League champions, while he also claimed an assist for Sergio Aguero’s second goal.

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“He played incredibly well,” Guardiola told BBC Sport, adding, “David (Silva), in this kind of game – with a defence so deep and with such few spaces – is so good. He’s one of the best players I’ve ever seen. What can I say? Everyone knows David. He moves between the lines like no one else in the world, he is a fighter.”

Notably, Sterling’s second goal was his fifth in the league this season and Guardiola was delighted with his side’s clinical finishing, particularly given the champions did not craft a huge number of clear-cut opportunities.

“We didn’t create so many chances, but Raheem is still scoring goals, which is good for us,” Guardiola said.

“There are a few things to improve that’s good that that has happened while winning games, but we knew it, every time they set up so deep 5-4-1, long balls and they are so strong with (Joshua) King, (Harry) Wilson and (Philip) Billing and set pieces with good throw-ins all the time in the boxes they are stronger than us.

“But, okay. The quality of our players made the difference and we won the game,” he added.