Pep Guardiola rarely keeps it simple when it comes to setting up his Manchester City side and one particular gamble ultimately paid off against Aston Villa.
One hour prior to kick-off at the Etihad Stadium when the team news was announced, the Spaniard decided to rotate his starting XI - perhaps with one eye on Wednesday night's huge Premier League meeting with Arsenal - with Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan among four changes.
But eyebrows were raised with regard to Kyle Walker, Ruben Dias and Aymeric Laporte being the only recognised defenders named in the line-up. And as Erling Haaland spearheaded the attack alongside Jack Grealish and Riyad Mahrez, some were left confused as to what formation City had deployed.
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Fortunately, it soon became clear that Bernardo Silva was operating as a left-back when the hosts were out of possession before tucking inside to take up a usual midfield role when City had the ball. Judging by Guardiola's previous comments about the Portugal international, it's no surprise he took advantage of the playmaker's ability to play in numerous positions.
"We know how we want him, how we love him," the City manager said in 2021, as per the Manchester Evening News. "But at the same time not just Bernardo, I said many times in my last press conference, I want the best of them. They have to be happy to be here to perform well.
"He is such an important player for us, he can play in four or five different positions and he is so intelligent, and intelligent players can play everywhere. There are players who can just play in this [one] position. He is a winger, or a striker, or a holding midfielder or a central defender. Bernardo is a football player and football players can play anywhere and that’s why at this level."
With that said, it would be a major shock if Guardiola asks Silva to repeat this role vs Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium. Especially as Arsenal's threat down their right-hand side just so happens to be Bukayo Saka who has been one of the standout players this season with seven goals and eight assists in the Premier League thus far.
However, it would appear that the Spaniard has a special plan for the England international. When the two sides met in the FA Cup fourth round last month, Nathan Ake - who netted the only goal of the game - was praised by former City pair Shaun Goater and Paul Dickov for keeping Saka relatively quiet.
"Defensively he was fantastic on Friday. He was up against Bukayo Saka who is one of the best players in the Premier League," the latter said on City's Matchday Live show. "Every time Nathan was on top of him pushing him back and pushing him back. The one occasion in the first half where Saka did face him up, Nathan didn’t panic. He held his ground and got in at the right time. He has been magnificent."
Meanwhile, Goater added: "He was brilliant how he played and in keeping Saka quiet. It was a real man-of-the-match performance. He was absolutely brilliant again on Friday and it was capped with that great finish."
Ake was named amongst the substitutes against Villa and despite being summoned late in the second half to relieve Silva of his defensive duties and see out the 3-1 victory he should be well-rested to face Saka once again and this could be a key battle on Wednesday night.
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