David Silva

Premier League title favourites Manchester City bid farewell to David Silva last summer after a decade at the club. David Silva had to leave Manchester City at the end of his contract and went on to sign for Real Sociedad in the Spanish top flight.

A lot of Premier League followers wondered if the departure of David Silva would leave a big gap in the Manchester City team. In addition to his quality as a playmaker, David Silva was also the Manchester City skipper. When he left the club last summer, Manchester City turned to his assistant, Brazilian international Fernandinho. The Brazilian has taken over from David Silva as a Manchester City captain.

Manchester City were not at their best in the opening weeks of the season as the gap left by David Silva remained obvious until German national team star IlkayGundogan stepped up to take his place in terms of the goals and assists added to Manchester City over his decade-long stay at the Etihad Stadium. IlkayGundogan has now become one of the go-to men for Manchester City this season. Gundogan has been impressive with his form for the Citizens and this is despite the absence of best player, Kevin De Bruyne.
IlkayGundogan had scored seven goals in his last nine games in the league before the Liverpool game at the weekend. He missed a first half penalty during the game at the home of Liverpool but he was able to recover from that setback to score two goals and lead Manchester City to a significant victory over the Reds, who are the reigning Premier League champions. The win ensured that Manchester City moved five points clear of nearest challengers Manchester United having played a game less than the Red Devils. The win over Liverpool made it 14 wins in a row. They have now made it a record 15 victories on the bounce following the 3-0 away win over English Championship team Swansea City in the FA Cup fifth round.