Manchester City’s Portuguese stars can have big role to play in title fight
Manchester City have a real battle on their hands if they are to retain the English Premier League title this season.
Portugal internationals Rúben Dias and Bernardo Silva played important roles in delivering the league title to the Citizens last season and the pair might well have to step once again this term if the club are to be crowned champions of England once again.
Silva’s creativity can produce big moments
A player who is much admired by City boss Pep Guardiola, Bernardo Silva has been an influential figure at the Etihad Stadium since moving to Manchester back in 2017. The former Benfica star has already won four Premier League titles in his career and City is priced at +100 in today’s football betting to land a fifth English crown to his collection this season.
While Silva has not always started, the Portuguese playmaker featured in 24 of City’s first 26 Premier League games of the campaign, as they chase down an Arsenal side who are -120 in the Premier League sports betting to win the title this season. Scoring four league goals in those first 24 games and providing five assists, former Monaco midfielder Silva continues to have a real impact for Guardiola’s side, in a battle at the top with the Gunners that looks like it could go right down to the wire.
There has been plenty of speculation regarding Silva’s future at the club, with reports suggesting La Liga giants Barcelona are determined to bring the midfielder to Camp Nou at the end of the current campaign. Silva was linked with a move to the Catalonian outfit in the big overhaul at the Blaugrana last summer but City was determined to keep hold of such an influential player. The 28-year-old is capable of doing things other top players can only dream of and it would be little surprise to see Silva come up with some big moments once again this season.
Dias integral to city success
While much is always made about City’s impressive attacking threats at the Etihad, Portugal centre-back Dias has a big role to play for the remainder of the season. Dias suffered a big blow after he picked up a hamstring injury in Portugal’s last-16 win over Switzerland at the World Cup in Qatar. Ruled out for a month, the 25-year-old missed out on some important games for City when the Premier League season resumed for Guardiola’s reigning champions.
The loss of Dias was a blow but the player has come through his frustrating spell out on the sidelines and will be hoping to remain injury free for the remainder of the campaign. City can certainly use his quality and experience at the back as they hope to leapfrog Arsenal before this exciting top-flight season in England comes to a conclusion. Dias already has big game experience and knows what it takes to win a tight title battle in the Premier League.
It looks set to be an intriguing climax to the Premier League season and the Portuguese duo of Dias and Silva are ready to play big roles in the conclusion of the campaign.