He's a 'footballing genius' – Silva lauds Guardiola

Manchester City broke a host of Premier League records last season, and David Silva insists it all comes down to Pep Guardiola.

Manchester City star David Silva and Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola is a "genius" who has been so successful because he can see things before they happen, according to Manchester City star David Silva.

Guardiola joined City in 2016 after a spell with Bayern Munich and, although his first campaign was a difficult, his second season was anything but. City strolled to the title last year and broke a host of records in the process, claiming the most points, goals and wins in a single season since the Premier League began in 1992.

Silva feels Guardiola has achieved success because he has the ability to predict outcomes others would not think of. "Pep Guardiola sees things before they happen and that's an advantage - a massive plus," Silva told

BBC Sport .

"It's like, he explains it to you and you grasp it straight away, something that I'd never seen before. And this goes for all areas, from the goalkeeper through to the striker.

"In the past, some of my coaches had focused more on attack, others more on defence - but he covers the whole pitch.

"I think I've learned to be more patient on the pitch. I used to move around a lot and wanted to be all over the place. Guardiola has taught me to stick to a more determined zone and wait for the ball to get to me to give us the upper hand. So, yes, I've improved in that sense. He's a footballing genius."