Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was full of praise for Bernardo Silva after playing in their crucial last minute victory on Aston Villa last night.
The Portuguese midfielder opened the score on Etihad after just seven minutes and finished from an Omar Marmoush cuts that Ezri Konsa blended.
Marcus Rashford has canceled his strike before a stop time winner of Matheus Nunes all the points for the hosts sealed.
The victory leaves City in third place, four points above the sixth placed Chelsea in the race for Champions League qualification.
After the victory, Guardiola praised Silva and claimed that the 30-year-old was 'always', despite the fact that he was 'mentally empty' during the nightmare in the middle season of the city, which lost six Premier League matches of eight, including four in a row. 'Bernardo, what he did for us this season … I don't forget! I forget November, December, January, February, March, when we didn't win any competition, and he was there every time, “said Guardiola.
Walking in every way, playing different positions, running, and there was a time when he was mentally empty.
“And then not winning games, he was tired, he was empty.
“But Bernardo has an incredibly large personality in the important games.”
“He is a player for me who is at a different level.
Silva has scored three goals and registered four assists in 29 league -apartment this season.
His eight-year-old Stint in Manchester has seen him make 398 performances and collect six Premier League titles, two FA-Bekers and the Champions League.
However, there are rumors that he could return to Boyhood side Benfica.
He spent more than ten years on the Benfica Academy, but only played three times for the first team because of a dispute with head coach at that time, Jorge Jesus.
Silva's £ 300,000 a week contract in the city expires at the end of next season, but it is believed that he is willing to take a wage reduction to return to Portugal.
Although Benfica is reportedly not prepared to pay his £ 42.6 million release clause, they contacted his representatives this summer during a return.
Silva could be the newest departure of Manchester City, while the club rebuilt their team, with Kevin De Bruyne announcing earlier this month that he will leave in the summer.
After yesterday's victory, Guardiola added: 'We didn't make much, but it's not easy against Aston Villa. They have a low block of five or six at the back.
“It's not easy. It is a matter of being patient and today Kovacic and Bernardo helped us to read that. '