Analysis: The importance of David Silva to Manchester City

Silva has become a household name at the Etihad for years now and his worth to this club goes deeper than some may think. He is extremely instrumental in City’s midfield.

David Silva left his home country of Spain back in 2010 after a six-year tenure with Valencia, including spells with a couple smaller La Liga clubs. He garnered interest from the likes of Real Madrid, but the versatile midfielder was set on coming to England. To this day, that decision has paid off for Silva, as he’s become one of Manchester City’s best players ever.

He has been apart of three Premier League titles, along with three football League Cups, an FA Cup, and two FA community shields. Internationally, the Spaniard has won two Euro championships and a World Cup with Espana in 2010.

Orchestrator in the midfield

Coming over to Premier League from the La Liga is a huge difference in the style of play. It’s more technical in Spain compared to more physical in England. Silva is a relatively small player, but he’s had no problem at all adapting to the style in the Premier League. His intelligence and pure skill on the ball has let him thrive for many years in England.

Unlike larger players who could single handily out-muscle their opponents, Silva can’t do that. But his quickness and footwork help him get by other players. He also does an outstanding job of shielding the ball. He doesn’t have the brute strength to push a guy off the ball, so he uses his entire frame to protect the ball and move with it and find a teammate with a through ball or a pass.

Silva has scored 62 goals for the club, while also collecting 75 assists. He’s more of a playmaker than a scorer, but in most cases, that’s even more important. Players like Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling wouldn’t be scoring if they didn’t have players like Silva to give them the opportunities.

We all know how much Manchester City dominates the possession of each and every match. A vital reason for this is because of the strength of their midfield. Between players like Kevin De Bruyne, who is currently out with a knee injury, and David Silva who typically plays in the middle but can also play out on the left flank, they control the play for the majority of matches. Silva is an absolute wizard at keeping the ball, whether he’s trying to move it into the final third to create a scoring opportunity or just simply moving the ball out to the flanks. His City teammates have even given him the nickname “Merlin”, thanks to his pure brilliance with a football at his feet.

Silva ranks fifth all time in Premier League history with 15,585 passes, an average of 61.60 a game. His football IQ is second to none, always showing the ability to find a teammate with a crucial through ball or threading the needle with a pass between opponents.

Defensively, he’s been a workhorse as well. Silva has a tackle success rate of 73 percent over his illustrious City career. He’s also very good at anticipating passes and making interceptions, which comes back to his smart mind for the game.

Would City be where they are without him?

City is averaging around 70 percent possession of their matches so far this year. Last year, when they won the league, they averaged 71.2% possession. That was 12 percent more than the past twelve winners of the EPL, including themselves in 2011/12 and 2013/14. Possession is generated in the midfield, and that’s exactly where David Silva calls home. He is the ultimate orchestrator for Manchester City, and seems to be getting better with age.

Would Manchester City be the dynasty they have become in the last eight years without David Silva? Absolutely not. He has emerged as one of the best players the Premier League has ever seen, and arguably the best all-around player to ever put on a Manchester City uniform.