Bernardo breaks Prem record with first kick of ball in Chelsea vs. Man City

Manchester City's Bernardo Silva broke a Premier League grounds with his archetypal footwear of the shot successful Sunday's clash with Chelsea astatine Stamford Bridge.

The 31-year-old sported the captain's armband successful an unchanged City XI for the travel to West London, connected what is expected to beryllium his last quality against Chelsea for the Citizens.

Silva is retired of declaration successful the summer, and adjunct manager Pep Lijnders precocious suggested that the Portugal planetary would beryllium leaving arsenic a escaped cause astatine the extremity of the season.

Pep Guardiola expressed disorder astatine the caller developments, though, claiming that Silva had not informed him of his intentions to depart and refusing to regularisation retired an hold for the midfielder.

However, the statement is that Silva volition extremity his trophy-laden stint astatine the Etihad this summer, but helium volition not depart without different leafage successful the Premier League past books.

Bernardo Silva breaks grounds for all-time Premier League Portuguese appearances

By playing conscionable a azygous 2nd of Sunday's main event, Silva - who kicked disconnected proceedings successful the superior - broke the grounds for the astir Premier League appearances by a Portuguese player, making his 297th astatine the weekend.

Silva was antecedently level with erstwhile Fulham and West Ham United antheral Luis Boa Morte connected 296 top-flight games, but helium present stands successful a league of his ain successful that peculiar category.

Silva volition astir surely surpass the 300-mark earlier his expected exit successful the summer, astatine which constituent helium volition person plentiful European and non-European options disposable to him.

The 31-year-old is thought to person admirers astatine some Barcelona and Juventus, though teams successful MLS and the Saudi Pro League are besides expected to vie for his services.

Assessing Bernardo Silva's Man City legacy

A subordinate of the unforgettable 2016-17 Monaco broadside - who were subsequently ravaged by Europe's superpowers - Silva has been here, determination and everyplace for Man City implicit the past 9 years.

While helium whitethorn beryllium successful the 2nd fractional of his career, it is casual to hide that Silva is inactive lone 31 years old, fixed however agelong helium has been dominating motor rooms successful entity bluish for.

The Portugal planetary whitethorn not beryllium the astir physically imposing midfielder, but his in-game intelligence, relentless enactment complaint and astounding versatility person - and volition beryllium - accordant themes of his glittering career.

Boasting implicit 150 extremity involvements and 18 large trophies from his clip nether Guardiola, Silva is different sanction who falls into the 'irreplaceable' class for Man City, who request different abstraction connected their legends partition for the diminutive playmaker.