After 'El Mago' announced his retirement from football, GOAL looks back on the best moments of his magical decade at the Etihad Stadium
David Silva's wondrous career has come to a sad end due to a devastating knee injury, forcing the Spaniard to retire a year ahead of schedule. He bids farewell to the game after a storybook career which saw him lift countless trophies, including a European Championship and a World Cup.
Manchester City were lucky that he spent his best days at the Etihad Stadium, inspiring the Blues to four Premier League titles, two FA Cups and five League Cups. Along with Yaya Toure, Vincent Kompany, Joe Hart and Sergio Aguero, Silva set City on the path to world domination and deservedly has his own statue outside the club's ground.
GOAL looks back at the glorious career of 'El Mago', picking out the top 10 moments of his magical reign in Manchester…
Getty 10Forgotten yet crucial goal against QPR
Most people have forgotten that City actually beat QPR 3-2 twice in the title-winning season. The dramatic final day of the season and Aguero's 94th-minute winner has naturally overshadowed the other match, at Loftus Road, but it was no less crucial.
Silva played a vital role in the comeback victory. With the match finely balanced at 1-1, the Spaniard fired City in front with a touch of class, bringing a cross from Edin Dzeko out of his feet and away from his two markers in the six-yard box before rifling home from close range.
AdvertisementGetty9Farewell goal against Bournemouth
The final few weeks of the 2019-20 season were like a farewell tour for Silva, and the big shame is that City fans were not able to watch his swansong in person due to coronavirus restrictions.
But he bowed out in typical fashion with an exquisite goal against Bournemouth in the penultimate home game of the season. It was a splendid free-kick, curling over the wall and bouncing off the crossbar into the net to set City on their way to a 2-1 win.
Getty 8FA Cup final goal at last
Silva had done almost everything for City apart from make his mark in an FA Cup final. In the 2011 showpiece against Stoke City, he missed a clear chance to score, while the 2013 final was a total disaster as City were beaten by soon-to-be-relegated Wigan Athletic.
The Spaniard made it third time lucky by firing in City's opening goal in the 2019 final against Watford, though, burying a half-volley after a knockdown by Raheem Sterling in the area.
The goal set City on their way to a 6-0 hammering, the biggest scoreline in an FA Cup final for 116 years.
Getty 7Scrappy yet vital goal against Arsenal
It was far from Silva's best goal but it is among his most important. Not every goal has to be a work of art, sometimes you just need to be in the right place at the right time. And that's what Silva did in a tight match against Arsenal in 2011 to snatch a 1-0 win.
In a reversal of usual roles, Mario Balotelli weaved his way down the left wing and took on a defender before sending a shot across goal. Wojciech Szczesny parried it into the air, but Silva was there to slide in and knock the ball in from a couple of yards out.
When City were locked in their breath-taking title race with United later in the season, every point counted, and this scrappy finish was just as crucial in City winning the title as Aguero's strike against QPR.