'They have a hammer!' - Pep Guardiola compares Man City star to Lionel Messi after he showed off unlikely skill in Champions League victory over Villarreal

Silva scored his side’s second goal as City won 2-0 away to the Spanish side, the inevitable Erling Haaland scoring the opener as Guardiola’s men climbed into the Champions League top eight, three matches into the league phase, despite the continued absence of Rodri.

Bernardo powered home a header from the centre of the penalty area to double the scoreline for his side, leading to Guardiola’s comparison between his neck muscles and a “hammer”, a trait the Catalan believes is shared by Inter Miami superstar Messi, whom he famously managed during both men’s illustrious spell with Barcelona.

Considering the substantial power behind the header, Guardiola’s comparison makes some sense, though it was a unique one to make, nevertheless.

“I’m pleased that Erling scored again; and pleased that Bernardo made an incredible header again. It’s a little bit like [Lionel] Messi, it’s a hammer. They have a hammer in their neck, they are so good. They are small but they are so good with their head contact.”

The commenters on Sky Sports News’ video of the clip in question from Guardiola’s post-match press conference had a field day, as football fans enjoyed the creative comparison made by the City manager.

“Pep just be inventing anatomy at this point,” said @MaxRakeBitCom, alongside a laughing face emoji.

“Only Pep could make heading sound like an art form,” laughed @Only1Justus.

Another user, @0xa1_, added: “Bro’s built like a USB stick but headers like prime Ronaldo.”

“Pep just compared a neck header to Messi? Try that with Ronaldo and the ball enters orbit,” added @olisaemekalum2.

Another, @BavuFunzo, joked: “Always finding a point to involve Messi.”

Another user questioned Guardiola’s use of vocabulary, @xwordz: “Ain’t the hammer, it’s the flexibility and the elastic strength.”

"Tough place to come. We played really good. At the end they had one or two chances but we played a fantastic game. A good step for us in this tournament," said Guardiola.

"It's good that not just Erling [Haaland] scored and we had more chances for others. Impact from Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders good too. Little disappointed with result in Monaco, we created chances and didn't win and played the same as today but today got the goals. Teams in La Liga are really tough and a top-class manager.

“Spanish people know it, maybe English people don’t know it, Villarreal is a top, top team. So I know how difficult it is to come here. Indeed, in the way we played, I have the feeling that, in many ways, we are coming back to what we were in the past.

"Our numbers in the Champions League in the last year are not bad. Personally my numbers are not bad. But last season was tough for us, the vibe and how the team are playing now make me feel fine."

City’s Rico Lewis, who assisted the game’s opening goal for Haaland, told TNT Sports: "We felt in control for most of the game. There's always better things we can do and there were a few spells they had that we could've prevented but we have to be harsh on ourselves if we want to win the competition.

"We've got some confidence back. When you're playing with confidence there's nothing to stop you but yourself. Everyone trusts each other as well and there's nothing better than us having each other's backs."

Speaking about Haaland, he added: "Impossible, amazing. To play with him in the team, he helps us more than people realise. He draws defenders to free other people and then that frees him up to score. He's impossible to defend. He's such a hard worker and never stops wanting to score."

The Cityzens are back in Premier League action against in-form Aston Villa on Sunday. The Villans, having won five consecutive games in all competitions, will provide a true test of how close Guardiola’s men are to reaching their former heights.

Seven victories in nine matches, the other two being draws, have certainly served to indicate that City are a force to be reckoned with this season. New club captain Silva will undoubtedly have a key role to play if his side are to return to trophy-winning glory in 2026. This could ultimately be the 31-year-old's final season in Manchester, as rumours build that he may depart next summer.