Manchester City: Bernardo Silva is clear that “special” John Stones maintaining his fitness can be the key to Manchester City again being a force.
“John gives us something that is difficult to find in terms of him as a central defender: that with the ball he can go into the midfield to help us in the buildup,” said the City captain. “And that’s something that is very difficult to find. Look, it’s my ninth season at Man City and when John is fit, the team always plays much better. It’s not a coincidence. He’s a special player. He just needs to take care of his body and make sure that he’s available. Because I’m pretty sure that if he’s available, he’s going to be a real force.”
City are unbeaten in nine games, drawing two. Silva pointed to the rearguard as fundamental to their good run. “We found a bit more of our rhythm,” he said. “We found the stability at the back; I think that gives the freedom for the guys at front to play in a different way. I always say that when you’re stable at the back, when the team defends properly, and we’re now defending quite well, then that’s when you can win football games.
“The guys up front can make a difference. That’s what we didn’t have for a long time last season, and that’s what we’re getting back to, to having that stability. We’re happy with the momentum, but still a long way to go. It’s just one month that we were quite good. If we want to be successful this season, we need to keep it that way for much longer than just one month.”
