Bernardo Silva is finding out that you cross Pep Guardiola at your peril.
In the five years since the livewire Portuguese midfielder arrived at Manchester City, he has arguably been their most consistent performer. After spending last summer agitating for a move to Spain, he answered his manager’s plea to help him with a fourth Premier League title.
But it’s been more of the same this year. Barcelona want Silva and he fancies La Liga - but City are demanding £80million and the Catalans can’t afford it. Silva has spurned chances to put the speculation to rest, perhaps forgetting that Guardiola still has eyes inside the Nou Camp and will know all about the machinations of agent Jorge Mendes.
City’s manager admitted that he doesn’t know where Silva will be when the transfer window closes. But actions speak louder than words. And when the champions stepped out at the Etihad for the first time this season, the midfielder was in exactly the same place that he was at the London Stadium last week: on the bench. When Phil Foden went off at half-time, it was Jack Grealish who replaced him.
Silva's afternoon ended with him applauding all four stands inside the Etihad as he was the last of City's players off the pitch before handing his shirt over to a fan. Read into that what you will. He had been given the final half-hour - and felt the love from City fans. They sang his name incessantly. But Guardiola doesn’t do dissent.
Raheem Sterling spoke this week about being unable to understand why he wasn’t one of the first names on the Catalan’s team-sheet. But Sterling once questioned Guardiola when he was left out of the team and the relationship between the City manager and the winger now playing for Chelsea was never the same.
Guardiola is a control freak - and not just when it comes to expecting his players to follow his tactical instructions to the letter. It’s what makes him a serial winner. Ronaldinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic found it out at Barcelona. Bastian Schweinsteiger was dumped at Bayern Munich, where even club doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfhart discovered that 38 years’ service counted for nothing after crossing the coach.
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That’s why Guardiola would have been delighted by City’s first goal. The common perception is that Erling Haaland has been signed for his finishing touch. Haaland bagged a double on his debut at West Ham - and would have been disappointed when he swept Grealish’s pass wide before he was substituted 15 minutes from time. But after 18 minutes, the Norwegian illustrated his ability to be a maker as well as a taker of goals, swapping passes with Ilkay Gundogan to enable the German to sweep home a sweet finish.
City should have already been out of sight, Foden wasting the best of a glut of early chances when his shot was saved by Mark Travers when a simple pass would have given Haaland a tap-in. Guardiola would have had a word. City scored 99 goals without a striker to retain the title last season - and this was a day to show that Haaland won’t carry the burden alone. When Kevin De Bruyne showed why he’s on the three-man shortlist to win the Ballon d’Or by curling home a sumptuous second it was all over after half-an-hour.
And when when Foden scored from De Bruyne’s measured pass six minutes later, it appeared Bournamouth were in for the kind of beating that brings flashbacks. But there was only one more goal, Jefferson Lerma slicing Joao Cancelo’s cross past Travers 11 minutes from the end. Two thousand Cherries fans made it to Manchester despite a rail strike. After beating Aston Villa on the opening day, this was a reality check for Scott Parker’s side. But the Bournemouth boss will know it could have been a lot worse.
