With the transfer gossip a little thinner on the ground now the window is bolted shut until summer, a bit of a analysis gets a look in on the Media Watch pages!
First to Poprtuguese schemer Bernardo, who according to the Independent’s Ed Malyon, has a blend of ability that helps bring the best out of his City team-mates.
Malyon declares: “What Bernardo does have is a skill set that combines well with those around him. David Silva is now the veteran master, wise and dearly missed as he dealt with a family situation.
“De Bruyne is, as above, the best player on English soil and capable of doing things with little effort that most players would spend hours on the training ground failing to do.
“Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling have the speed highlighted by Bernardo but the German is also strong as an ox, a strapping man who contrasts with Sterling’s flea-like zipping around the field.
“Bernardo, somewhat underrated this season, has Sterling’s dinky stature but David Silva’s passing range, some of the sublime touches of De Bruyne and an ability to ghost into space like Gabriel Jesus or Aguero.
“With such a cast of stars around him attracting defenders’ attention, he will increasingly get a chance to show it as well.”
Over at the MEN City reporter Stuart Brennan has picked up on West Brom manager Alan Pardew’s comments after Wednesday’s match.
The Baggies boss revealed that new City man Aymeric Laporte not only hampered his attackers’ efforts to score, but also caused problems going the other way.
Brennan writes: “Laporte made everyone sit up when his first action after making a surprise debut, just over 24 hours after completing his move, was to ping a 50-yard crossfield pass onto the toes of Bernardo Silva.
“And when he slid a near-perfect ball into the path of Kevin de Bruyne’s run, it was clear this was no ordinary centre back.
“Pardew gave an answer to the City critics who have lambasted them for spending big money on another defender, when he said: ‘I thought he was terrific. His passing from left to right was a problem for us.
“’I’ve got bad news for other Premier League managers – they’ve got another asset, not just a defensive one but an offensive one too with his passing. Good luck to everybody else.’”
We’ll have more at the same time, same place tomorrow in the build up to the Burnley game!
