Pep Guardiola almost in tears after saluting Manchester City star after key Premier League win over Arsenal - 'I will cry'

It was confirmed last week that Silva will leave City when his contract expires at the end of the season after almost a decade at the club.

And Silva was typically excellent as his side beat Arsenal 2-1 in the Premier League on Sunday, putting in a player-of-the-match display at the Etihad Stadium.

Asked about the Portuguese midfielder in his post-match interview with Sky Sports, Guardiola said: "If you continue to talk about him, I will cry, so be careful. It will be so emotional the moment when he is going to leave. Bernardo is Bernardo. You cannot define him.

"I feel, sometimes, he has not been seen as a public figure. The stature, he is not fast, he is not strong... but football starts from here [points to his head] and finishes with the feet.

"I feel gratitude for what this guy has done for many, many years."

Silva has repeatedly helped City over the line in previous title races, winning six Premier League trophies since his arrival from Monaco in 2017.

And the impetus is now with City, who have cut the gap to three points and have a game in hand over leaders Arsenal.

But Guardiola insisted the battle is far from won yet.

"If I say the momentum has changed, I would say the momentum for Arsenal is bad when I've seen today, them playing like this," he added. "How is this bad momentum?

"They're in the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League, didn't lose one game. Momentum shifts in one instance. They know it.

"I have a lot of respect, but, of course, we want to win. We fought a lot as well. For many players today, they fought for the first time for the Premier League, and they felt the pressure a little bit. Performances were not top, but that is normal, it's the process."

Guardiola also praised Nico O'Reilly, who impressed again at left-back.

"Incredible defensively, offensively and set-pieces," he said. "What a player he is becoming, playing different positions. He is exceptional. He had the composure today to take the ball and again arrive in the final third for the second goal.

"What a season! I don't know if he is the best player or the man of the season, but the young one? Guys, it has to be."

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta remained positive despite the damaging defeat.

"We have full belief that we can do it," he told Sky Sports. "Today, we showed again the team that we are. It's in our hands and it's there for the taking."

Asked about his side's overall performance, he added: "You could see at the end of the game, and right from the beginning, the attitude of the team. We could have been a bit more composed in certain moments, but we certainly took the game to where we wanted, and we had big chances to win.

"We went very close, but not close enough, and now we have to accept we lost an opportunity today, a big one, but there are still five games to go. We need to reset and go again, because there are a lot of positives to take from the game."

Three of Arsenal's final five Premier League games are at home - against Newcastle United, Fulham and Burnley.

Arteta's side also have away trips to West Ham United and Crystal Palace, as well as a UEFA Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid.

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