'Empty mentally' - Pep Guardiola makes admission over Man City favourite

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola took time to acknowledge how much he has been helped by Bernardo Silva this season

Bernardo Silva will always have Pep Guardiola's gratitude for his contribution to Manchester City this season. The pair have spent eight years together in Manchester but have faced criticism in recent months as the team have faded.

Guardiola has been backed to turn things around and rebuild the team, but there have been question marks over whether Silva will be part of that. He angrily denied suggestions that his level had dropped permanently when talking to the Manchester Evening News last month, yet he has always made clear he would like to return to play for Benfica at some point and there have been reports of a summer move.

Against Aston Villa, Silva showed what a top operator he can still be as he buzzed about the midfield making sure City kept control of the game. With Mateo Kovacic, Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan also playing in the win, it was a victory for the old guard.

Guardiola used one of Silva's best performances of the season to talk about the lows he has gone through over the past nine months. Having played until he was physically and mentally exhausted, the 30-year-old is seeing his form return.

"I don't forget Bernardo, what he has done for us this season - especially this season," said Guardiola. "I don't forget.

"He didn't play much the last minutes but I don't forget December and January and February and March when we didn't win one single game and he was there every single time running 30 kilometres playing different positions. There was a moment when he was empty mentally, and he was tired.

"But Bernardo for important games has an incredibly huge personality. He's a player on another level for me for many reasons.

"Today for the game, Kova was brilliant as well. All the players showed commitment, maybe we miss a little bit the lack of quality.

"Kevin made an incredible assist with the control from Macca and the chip and unfortunately we didn't score. We didn't create much but it's not easy against Aston Villa because they defend with a low, low block, five, six players at the back.

"It's a question of being patient and today Kova and Bernardo helped us to read that."

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