Bernardo Silva and Rodri will be desperate to turn Manchester City into serial winners again.
The Manchester City duo are accustomed to lifting silverware and witnessing their side’s fall from grace last season would have been a bitter feeling for the pair.
However, this campaign, both Bernardo Silva and Rodri will have the chance to help Pep Guardiola’s side return to their brilliant best.
The summer signings could also boost their chances of lifting trophies, with Rodri comparing Rayan Cherki to Riyad Mahrez and Gianluigi Donnarumma impressing Erling Haaland already.
Rodri looking on during Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Bernardo Silva tells Rodri that Gianluigi Donnarumma reminds him of Thibaut Courtois
With Cherki sidelined for two months with an injured thigh and Rayan Ait-Nouri injuring his ankle, Tijjani Reijnders, James Trafford and Gianluigi Donnarumma will be expected to raise the bar.
However, Trafford’s place already looks under threat due to the former Paris Saint-Germain number one’s arrival.
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Donnarumma earned praise from Rodri, as he told Bernardo that he seemed impenetrable during the Manchester Derby while speaking to Stadium Astro: “To be honest, it’s the first game he played, I don’t know about you but it felt like they must put the ball in the corner to score.”
Bernardo turned to Rodri and claimed that Donnarumma reminds him of Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
“With Gigi, the feeling that you have is a bit, Courtois feeling, you know. He’s a tall guy, he’s a big guy.”
“He’s still young because he’s 26 but he’s played at the highest level for so long but first game at a new club, you could see that he felt comfortable with it and it’s good to have a guy like that at the back.”
Gianluigi Donnarumma stats compared to Thibaut Courtois
Considering Courtois is arguably the best goalkeeper in the world, Manchester City fans would be delighted that Bernardo reckons Donnarumma is similar to him.
Last season, the 26-year-old emerged as the most in-form shot-stopper in the Champions League, which has meant he is widely viewed as a player in the same breath as the former Chelsea star.
Statistically, Donnarumma and Courtois are closely-matched.
STATS PER 90 THIBAUT COURTOIS GIANLUIGI DONNARUMMA
PSXGA +0.03 -0.04
GOALS AGAINST 1.15 1.02
SAVE % 76% 67.3%
CROSSES STOPPED % 6.3% 6.7%
Over the past 365 days
However, barring stopping more crosses per game over the past 365 days, the stats show that Courtois remains the better goalkeeper.
If Donnarumma can play on a similar standard to him this season, Pep Guardiola would be over the moon.