One of manager Pep Guardiola's predecessors at Manchester City, Stuart Pearce, recently spoke of going to see Guardiola while he was the Barcelona coach. "He gave me a great insight into how to be a good manager," said Pearce. "As we said goodbye and walked away, he turned around and said, 'By the way, get a Messi in your side.'"
Guardiola might not have a Lionel Messi in this Manchester City side, but he does have a David Silva. The Spanish playmaker's form had rather tailed off last season. He was a peripheral figure who never really recovered from an autumn ankle injury in a disjointed and disappointing season under Manuel Pellegrini.