Bernardo Silva spotted using 'genius' Man City tactic against Man Utd that saw him raise both arms

Manchester City fans were impressed when they spotted a tactic Bernardo Silva used during the Manchester derby on Sunday.

City beat local rivals Manchester United 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium, with Phil Foden stealing the show with a two-goal performance.

Marcus Rashford gave United an unexpected half-time lead with a long-range stunner, but Foden netted twice after the break before Erling Haaland secured the result in injury-time.

However, for all City's dominance on the ball and the 27 attempts on goal they racked up, there was a period when United looked like they could hurt the hosts.

United looked to exploit City's high defensive line in the opening stages, pouncing on loose passes and breaking in numbers.

Rashford should have doubled United's lead when he mis-kicked at the back post, and there were a few other promising moves that put City fans on edge.

When one United breakaway was snuffed out, City fans noticed what Bernardo Silva did.

The Portuguese midfielder received the ball just inside his own half and raised his hands in the air to tell his teammates to slow the game down and stay calm.

Ignoring the calls of thousands of fans to start a City attack, Silva played the ball backwards to Ruben Dias and City kept possession.

"We were playing too fast and making sloppy passes letting united into the game, the second after Bernardo did that United never had the same momentum," one City fan said on X.

Bernardo Silva played a key role in City's defeat of United.

Another noticed: "You can see everyone taking a deep breath and calming down when Silva raises his hand."

One fan noticed the impact Bernardo's decision had, saying: "City's full control returned. City stopped United's sporadic attacks looking for that second knockout punch."

Some City fans think that was the moment the game changed.

"Bro when I saw this I literally said 'right now City are gonna PLAY'," one fan said, while another called him a "genius and a leader."

Bernardo's understanding of Guardiola's system and the most effective way for City to play means he can tell less experienced teammates, like Jeremy Doku, what to do.

"I saw him helping Doku on the left flank, [telling him] when to pass back and when to dribble," an eagle-eyed viewer noticed.

When Bernardo eventually leaves City, fans are going to miss much more than his goals and assists.

Topics: Fan Reactions, Manchester City, Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, Pep Guardiola, Premier League

Alex Brotherton

Alex Brotherton is a Sports Trends Writer at SPORTbible. He has previously worked with publications including the Manchester Evening News, GOAL and BBC Sport. He is a football fanatic, but also dabbles in tennis and American football. He enjoys running, cooking and watching non-league football.

@alex_brotherton