Pep Guardiola Lauds Bernardo Silva's Season-High Show of Endurance vs. Liverpool

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola picked playmaker Bernardo Silva as one of his top performers in Thursday's 2-1 win over Liverpool after he covered the greatest distance in a Premier League match this season.  

City fired back to within four points of the league-leading Reds after Leroy Sane's 72nd-minute winner at the Etihad Stadium, where Silva played a key role in central midfield, per OptaJoe:

Guardiola said in his post-match remarks just how impressed he was with the diminutive maestro, particularly against a defensive force like Virgil van Dijk, the world's most expensive defender:

"Bernardo Silva did everything. He is the smallest one but shows us that to play football you don't have to be taller or more physical.

"He is incredible. I haven't seen performance like that in a while. It was clean and clever. Against Van Dijk he was comfortable."

Sergio Aguero opened the scoring with a strike from a narrow angle five minutes before half-time, for which Silva provided the assist.

The Portuguese has played almost exclusively as an attacking midfielder or wide man for previous clubs  Benfica and AS Monaco; Guardiola has successfully fashioned him into a more central star during Kevin De Bruyne's injury troubles this term.

Football writer Liam Twomey joined the City manager in praising Silva and was especially in awe of his work off the ball:

Ilkay Gundogan made his return off the bench, having also missed Saturday's 3-1 win over Southampton, but Guardiola opted not to use De Bruyne as a substitute.

The Belgian has made only six league appearances this season and managed a single league start, but Silva's success in central midfield and performances such as that witnessed on Thursday have lessened the blow.

Silva made a total of 28 starts in 53 appearances last season—his first at the Etihad—but has almost matched that tally already this campaign, racking up 23 starts in his 26 outings for City. He's missed only five games for the club this season, three of which have been in the Carabao Cup.

The team ethic and collective mentality at City are some of their top strengths in the hunt for more major silverware, as shown by Silva in celebrations with his team-mates on the bench:

A home victory over Liverpool leaves City in second but now only four points adrift of the leaders, and Guardiola's men are equal on goal difference and will have taken a substantial morale boost to begin 2019.

The injury absences of stars like De Bruyne and Gundogan can't be easy to cope with, but Guardiola's eye for potential and Silva's own defensive diligence has pulled the Premier League title race back open again.

City now turn their attention to cup competition and host Rotherham United in the FA Cup third round on Sunday before Burton Albion travel to the Etihad for the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Wednesday.