Manchester City not counting on any favours from rivals United, says Bernardo Silva
City returned to the Premier League summit on Sunday, climbing above challengers Liverpool on goal difference
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Your support makes all the difference.Bernardo Silva says Manchester City will be focusing solely on the task at hand in the title race rather than holding out for favours from Manchester United.
City returned to the Premier League summit on Sunday, climbing above challengers Liverpool on goal difference following their 6-0 win over Chelsea.
Liverpool have a game in hand over City - to be played against United at Old Trafford on 23 February - and Jurgen Klopp's side only need to avoid defeat to return to the top.
City should therefore hope that United to do them a favour, but Bernardo insists they are only concentrating on their own game.
“Of course it is better if they lose some points but I think all of us, not only the manager but all of the players, have been saying to focus on our job,” he said.
“If we don’t win our games, it doesn’t matter what they do so that is the most important thing now.”
City’s title defence appeared all but over after their defeat to Newcastle United last month but Liverpool subsequently dropped four points against Leicester City and West Ham.
Pep Guardiola’s side have capitalised on those slip-ups, winning their last three outings against Arsenal, Everton and Chelsea.
Sergio Aguero’s goals have been key to City’s resurgence, with the Argentine scoring consecutive hat-tricks at the Etihad.
His three goals against Chelsea on Sunday saw him equal Alan Shearer’s record of 11 Premier League hat-trick and Bernardo believes Aguero will be key if City’s title defence is to be successful.
“I think you don’t need any more words to describe him,” he said. “He just proves week after week how good he is, year after year.
“I think it has been like 10 years that he plays for Man City and year after year he shows how good he is and it is just fantastic for us to have a striker like him scoring so many goals for us. I just hope he continues.”
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