Football
Jonathan Smith, Manchester City correspondent 7y

Man City's Bernardo Silva getting used to 'drama' of Premier League

BOURNEMOUTH -- Bernardo Silva says the Premier League is even more dramatic than he expected after making his first start for Manchester City in the thrilling 2-1 victory against Bournemouth.

Silva, 23, has been eased into the first team after missing much of preseason after returning late from the Confederations Cup.

But he was in the starting lineup for the frenetic victory over Bournemouth -- a game which saw nine yellow cards and a late red for Raheem Sterling when he celebrated his 97th-minute winner with the away fans.

"It's a very different league from the French one, from what I was used to. It's very physical. The French one was physical as well but here you have a lot of drama," he told reporters.

"Last week against Everton we played with 10 men for almost the entire game, were losing 1-0, got back to 1-1 and tried to win the game. It was spectacular.

"Then again at Bournemouth we started losing and turned the score. So I am getting used to it, and feeling very good here.

"It's an amazing league. All the games are very difficult, very physical, with a lot of intensity, and I am so excited to have started playing here and be able to learn from the best players, teams and coaches."

Silva says some of the tackles at the Vitality Stadium would have been given as fouls in Ligue 1 or in Portugal.

But the £43 million summer signing from Monaco added that it was up to him to acclimatise to life in the Premier League where referees allow more contact.

"In my opinion some of them should have been considered fouls but this is the way the league is, this is the way the referees analyse the situation and I have to get used to it," he said.

"It's true that it's very physical and in my opinion sometimes it is too much but I need to get used to it.

"I used to see Premier League games on the television, and all the older players also told me it was a little bit different, and that they wouldn't whistle for little fouls.

"Here they don't consider these things fouls and have to get used to it. I am doing that."

However, he did have sympathy for Sterling, who will now miss City's game against his former club Liverpool after being given a second yellow card for celebrating his late winner with the supporters.

"I would probably have celebrated the same way," Silva said. "I didn't even know that was a yellow card.

"He already had one and got the second, I don't know why, I didn't see the images on the television. But I would probably celebrate the same way as he did.

"He's feeling happy because he scored. Unfortunately we won't have him for the next game but after scoring in the last minute he is so happy, because the most important thing is that we got the three points."

City captain Vincent Kompany said of the win: "It is madness. First thing I did was go to [Benjamin] Mendy and [Bernardo] Silva and said 'welcome to the Premier League.'

^ Back to Top ^