The Manchester City captain is once again giving his all for the cause | OneFootball

One player who has always gone above and beyond for Manchester City in his time at the club is Bernardo Silva. No role has ever been beneath Bernardo, and time and time again he has been tasked with carrying a sizable workload by Pep Guardiola. That was apparent during the 2024–25 season and has been once again so far this season. Bernardo Silva has been a warrior for his team and he continues to go above and beyond for the cause for his team.

Bernardo Silva has been playing a crucial role for Manchester City but he did need a rest.

You can never fault Bernardo Silva’s effort and application. It is hard to think of another player of his stature who has been so willing to do whatever it takes for his team. Bernardo will always do what is required for his team, and no task given to him by Pep Guardiola is beneath him. This season, he has done this once again as Manchester City’s captain. City’s captain did have a brief rest against Exeter City last weekend and it has seemingly done him the world of good.

Football isn’t a video game. It isn’t a case of Bernardo Silva being given a game off and his ‘health will regenerate’. In gaming that’s easy though, especially for those who buy Xbox Game Pass Ultimate but in the real world, managing minutes is far more delicate. Bernardo did seem to need rest at some point to regenerate for what Manchester City have ahead. He got that opportunity as he only played the final 20 minutes in Manchester City’s 10-1 FA Cup third round tie win over Exeter City. That rest did Bernardo Silva the world of good as he was back to his best in Manchester City’s 2-nil win over Newcastle United on Tuesday evening. He was arguably City’s man-of-the-match at St. James’ Park as took the fight to the Newcastle midfield and his team followed his lead.

Another rest when the opportunity arises should freshen Bernardo up for when he is needed the most.

When Rodri and Nico are fit, there are options for Pep Guardiola to utilize to ease the burden on Bernardo. Whether or not they are utilized remains to be seen. Bernardo Silva is the conduit between Pep Guardiola and his new-look team. He is the player who intimately understands what Guardiola demands and how he wants his team to play. It is understandable that Guardiola leans on Bernardo so heavily. But you do sense that more rest will greatly benefit Bernardo and set him up for what lies ahead this season.

You cannot fault Bernardo Silva’s effort this season, but you did sense that he needed a rest for his and his team’s benefit. The Manchester City captain got a small rest against Exeter City. It seemed to do him the world of good and the benefits of this were on display against Newcastle.