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.
“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.