The Daily Telegraph - 26.08.2019

Total FootballTotal Football

Silva service gives City gilt-edged victory

Jason Burt

CHIEF FOOTBALL

CORRESPONDENT

at the Vitality Stadium

ALL

ENT

Stadiummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Bournemouth

H Wilson 45^1

Manchester City

Aguero 15, 64, Sterling 43^3

Att: 10,486

This was a silk and steel perfor-

mance from Manchester City. On

the occasion of his 400th appear-

ance David Silva provided the silk

and, with his 399th and 400th goals

for club and country, Sergio Aguero

supplied the rapier-like steel.

There was a sharp edge elsewhere

from the champions as they eventu-

ally defeated a Bournemouth side

who, with Philip Billing and Jeffer-

son Lerma in the centre of midfield,

actually threatened to physically

dominate them on occasions.

But Pep Guardiola’s team do not

mind mixing it – from a tactical foul

just inside his own half by Olek-

sandr Zinchenko in the first minute

to two lunges by Kyle Walker, both

at Nathan Ake.

He should have been booked for

the first by Andre Marriner but the

referee was lenient which, if he had

not been, would have made upend-

ing the Bournemouth defender

minutes later even more fretful for

Walker. The right-back could have

been dismissed.

As, or at least according to the

baying Bournemouth fans, could

Ederson in the first half as he came

charging out of goal to catch Cal-

lum Wilson when the striker chased

down a through ball along the

touchline. Again the card was yel-

low. Given the ease with which City

have dominated their recent meet-

ings, a record Bournemouth man-

ager Eddie Howe admitted he was

not proud of, this was a far different

encounter.

Which is where David Silva steps

in; where he makes the difference.

Clearly Kevin De Bruyne is emerg-

ing as his successor just as, argua-

bly, Raheem Sterling may be able to

take the striker’s mantle from

Aguero, but in what is his final sea-

son at City it was another peerless

performance from the Spaniard.

“David 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,” Guardiola said and the man-

ager may well have a campaign of

repeating such eulogies before

David Silva, now 33, leaves at the

end of the season. “He has a sense, a

move between the lines like no one

else in the world – he is a fighter.”

For all of the riches in City’s

squad and team, the central impor-

tance of two players who arrived in

the first flush of Abu Dhabi invest-

ment remains. David Silva signed

for City nine years ago with Aguero

arriving the following summer and

both have already acquired legend-

ary status at the club where they are

now the longest-serving players.

“I follow David Silva and score,”

Aguero said which is a wise policy

and even though David Silva did

not directly deliver the 31-year-old

striker’s first goal he was inevitably

involved. It was from his smart pass

that Zinchenko crossed, De Bruyne

miscued and the ball ran to the

Argentine who took a touch – a

vital, cushioning, killer’s touch –

down, expecting Ederson to col-

lect, only for Adam Smith to steal in

with his close-range, goal-bound

shot striking the goalkeeper in the

face and deflecting just over.

Once again David Silva stepped

up as Aymeric Laporte drove the

ball to the right wing where it was

collected by Bernardo Silva. He

quickly found the City captain, who

threaded a pass for Sterling to run

onto, away from Smith, take two

touches and poke past goalkeeper

Aaron Ramsdale for his fifth goal of

the season. On the touchline Guar-

diola did not even take his hands

out of his pockets. If that suggested

a certain insouciance then Bourne-

mouth shook that from him as,

deep into first-half injury time, they

hit back after a free-kick was won

Icing on the cake: Sergio Aguero celebrates his second and Manchester City’s third goal against Bournemouth and later complimented his team-mate David Silva for his role as a provider of chances

400

Appearances

David Silva

(below) has

made for

Manchester

City, the 14th

player in

their history

to reach that

mark and the

first since

Paul Power in

the Eighties

50

Assists for

Kevin De

Bruyne in the

Premier

League in 123

appearances.

Previous

record holder

Mesut Ozil

took 141 games

to reach 50

27

Goals Sergio

Aguero and

Grand totals Pep’s men crunch impressive numbers

and Wilson stood over it. Thirty

yards out he whipped it left-footed

into the top left-hand corner of

Ederson’s goal. Little wonder Josh

King held his head in almost disbe-

lief as Wilson reeled away in cele-

bration. On loan from Liverpool,

would the 22-year-old be the story?

“Incredible goal,” Howe said. “I

saw him doing it so many times [on

loan] for Derby last year in big

games for them. We needed that lift

at that time.”

Bournemouth did but this was

already far more threatening from

them than when they failed to reg-

ister a shot or even win a corner

against City here last season and

when Callum Wilson got in behind

Laporte they had the chance to

draw level only for Ederson to

divert the shot away with his thigh.

Again David Silva intervened.

Ramsdale beat out an effort from

him, then he should have earned a

penalty after being clipped by

Lerma – only for the VAR to uphold

Marriner’s decision not to award it

• before his quick feet made the dif-
  ference one more time as he held
  off Ake, with the ball running to
  Aguero who toe-ended it past the
  goalkeeper. Two more assists for
  David Silva and all three City goals
  were tap-ins, which again showed
  how extraordinary they are at cre-
  ating such good opportunities.
  Even after that Bournemouth did
  not relent with chances falling to
  substitute Dominic Solanke, in-
  cluding an injury-time save by
  Ederson. “A few things to improve,”
  Guardiola said ruefully afterwards
  as City moved up to second place,
  two points behind Liverpool. But
  no improvement needed for David
  Silva or Aguero on this form.

David Silva

have combined

for in the

Premier

League. The

only duos to

combine for

more are

Thierry Henry

and Robert

Pires (29) and

Didier Drogba

and Frank

Lampard (36)

400

Career goals

for Aguero,

with 235

of them for

City

9

Premier

League wins

for City against

Bournemouth,

the best 100

per cent win

record ever

by a team

over an

opponent in

the top flight

11

Raheem

Sterling goals v

Bournemouth

• more than
  any other
  opponent

and stroked the ball home. Bourne-

mouth suffered the blow of losing

Charlie Daniels to injury with the

defender clutching his right knee

after he crumpled to the turf while

crossing the ball.

After a long delay the defender

was carried off and the prognosis

did not look good for a player who

has only just recovered from a seri-

ous knee injury. The only comfort

was it was not the same knee. “It’s

potentially serious with the amount

of pain he was in. We’re concerned

for him, yes,” Howe said.

Daniels’ replacement, Harry Wil-

son, made a difference, though, as

Bournemouth reshuffled, with

Fraser going to left wing-back. It

was from Wilson’s cross that Nico-

las Otamendi chested the ball

GETTY IMAGES

Aguero and

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