Pep Guardiola Hints at Bernardo Silva Transfer After Arsenal Victory

Silva put in a commendable shift against the Gunners, as City put Mikel Arteta's side side to sword by claiming their ninth consecutive league victory over the north London outfit at the Etihad Stadium.

After months of speculation linking him with a move away from the east side of Manchester, Silva could still depart the club before the transfer window shuts on August 31, as City have already signed Jack Grealish from Aston Villa to add depth to their midfield.

Guardiola has admitted that Silva wants to leave City, and reports have suggested that while the Catalan coach would like the 27-year-old to stay, the club will allow the Portugal international to move to another side for the right price.

Speaking about the midfielder's future after his side's win, Guardiola said: "He (Silva) is happy, happy in his life and what a player," as quoted by Manchester City.

"The year we won the Premier League, he was the best player. All I want is his happiness. He can play in a number of positions and today played exceptionally."

The Premier League champions opened the floodgates on Saturday to commemorate the unveiling of the marvellous statues of club legends Vincent Kompany and David Silva ahead of the clash.

A brace from Ferran Torres and strikes from İlkay Gündoğan, Gabriel Jesus and Rodri along with some below-par defending by the Gunners ended what turned out to be a pretty one-sided contest with City putting Mikel Arteta's side to the sword from start to finish.

Arsenal went down to 10 men after Granit Xhaka was sent off after a two-footed challenge on João Cancelo after 35 minutes, and City set fuel to the fire by capitalising on their man advantage as they were too good for the visitors.

After beginning the 2021/22 campaign with consecutive 1-0 defeats against Leicester City and Tottenham, City have found their rhythm with back-to-back emphatic victories at home to send a statement to the rest of the league.