Pep Guardiola was full of praise for captain and goalscorer Bernardo Silva after the win over Liverpool. The Spanish manager also praised Dominik Szoboszlai.
Manchester City came through a high pressure night at Anfield with a result that keeps their title hopes alive, beating Liverpool 1-2 in a match that had everything: a top level first half, a shift in momentum after the break, a key set piece moment from Dominik Szoboszlai, late City resilience, and a VAR sequence that became one of the main talking points afterwards.
After the final whistle, Pep Guardiola put the spotlight firmly on Bernardo Silva. Speaking to the BBC, the City manager delivered a strong endorsement of his captain and goalscorer, describing Silva as one of the best players he has ever coached and, in his eyes, the perfect captain. Guardiola did not frame it only as a compliment about talent. He presented Silva as a reference point for standards and culture inside the squad, stressing that the team always comes first for him. Guardiola also underlined how much Silva has given to Manchester City over multiple seasons, calling him one of the legends of the club and making it clear that working with him is a genuine pleasure.
Guardiola also reflected on the spectacle itself, describing the meeting with Arne Slot side as the kind of match that sells the Premier League around the world. He felt the first half was very good, with City able to impose stretches of control and compete at the tempo Liverpool demand at home. The manager, however, admitted that the flow changed later on. City lost momentum, the game opened up, and Liverpool were able to apply more pressure and raise the energy in the stadium. In that context, Guardiola highlighted the quality of Szoboszlai, referencing the Hungarian free kick as a decisive action in the match narrative and praising the strike.
At the same time, Guardiola was frank about what made the second half uncomfortable for City. He pointed to fatigue and the physical cost of the contest, and he suggested that Omar Marmoush and Erling Haaland were too passive at points, which contributed to City struggling to keep the same level of intensity and continuity when Liverpool pushed higher and the match became more transitional. In other words, even with the win secured, Guardiola saw enough to critique in terms of pressing, movement, and how City handled the shifts in rhythm.
Bernardo Silva then faced the microphones himself, speaking to Sky Sports, and his message matched the importance of the night. He said the whole squad felt they could not afford to lose at Anfield, because defeat would have ended their title chances. With the win, Silva insisted the hope is still there and City will fight to the end. He also struck a self critical note about the wider season, saying City could have been closer to Arsenal if they had done what they needed to do at the start of 2026. The implication was clear: the margin for error earlier has increased the pressure now, so results like this become essential rather than optional.
The refereeing story also became central, particularly a much discussed VAR moment involving Szoboszlai, Haaland and Rayan Cherki. Guardiola made his feelings known in blunt fashion, arguing that the goal should simply have stood and that the match should have been allowed to finish without further intervention. His frustration reflected a broader sentiment that, in games of this magnitude, extended stoppages and tight VAR calls can end up dominating the post match discussion more than the football.
On the Liverpool side, Arne Slot was also unhappy with Craig Pawson performance, but his complaint focused on a different point: a red card that Slot felt should have been shown but was not. That meant both camps left with issues for the officials, even though the result went City way. For Liverpool, the defeat was painful not only because of the scoreline, but because it came in a match where key moments, fine margins, and decisions all carried extra weight.
In the end, the headline is simple: Liverpool 1-2 Manchester City. But the reactions made it clear why this result resonated. Guardiola framed it as a night defined by leadership and belief, with Bernardo Silva again central to City identity, while the final narrative was shaped by momentum swings, set piece quality, and a VAR incident that will likely stay in the conversation for a while.
Updated: 10:14, 8 Feb 2026
