Savinho: "He has been everywhere", "On fire today" - Fans hail Manchester City star for his showing in 2-0 win against Villareal

Manchester City fans are delighted with Savinho’s performance during their Champions League match against Villarreal on Tuesday, October 21. The Brazilian put in a good shift on the flanks as City secured a 2-0 win at Estadio de la Ceràmica, ending a five-match winless away run in Europe’s premier club competition.

Savinho’s appearance against the Yellow Submarine was his first UCL start for Manchester City this season, having come on as a substitute in each of their first two matches. Eager to return to winning ways after being held to a 2-2 draw against Monaco, City started strongly from the outset.

Erling Haaland missed a goal-scoring opportunity less than three minutes into the game, but made amends for it in the 17th minute when he fired home a cutback pass from Rico Lewis. In doing so, he equaled Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of scoring in 12 consecutive games.

City continued to assert dominance despite taking the lead. Just five minutes before halftime, Pep Guardiola’s side doubled their lead when Bernardo Silva headed home a cross from Savinho. Villarreal tried to mount an unlikely comeback in the final 20 minutes, but City held firm.

In addition to providing an assist, Savinho proved unplayable, tormenting the LaLiga side with his trickery, particularly in the first half. During the 86 minutes he spent on the pitch, he created three big chances, completed five of six dribble attempts, and received a match rating of 7.5, according to Sofascore. To crown it all, he was named Player of the Match.

After the match, fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to heap praise on the young winger, with one writing:

“My God Savinho has been everywhere.”

A fan tweeted:

“Savinho is on fire today today!”

“Savinho has been a real menace for both left backs that Villarreal have put on the field. He’s enjoying himself out there,” a fan wrote.

“Savinho has been class man,” claimed another.

“Savinho’s coming of age in a City shirt,” another chimed in.

“We played really good” – Pep Guardiola on Manchester City’s 2-0 win over Villarreal

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was delighted with his players after they saw off their Spanish counterparts. The Spaniard branded Villareal’s stadium as a ‘tough place’ but lauded his team’s all-round display following the 2-0 victory.

Speaking to TNT Sports, Guardiola said:

"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."

The win saw Manchester City climb to 5th place in the league table of the competition, after sitting ninth heading into the clash.

About the author

Ezekiel is a European football journalist who covers breaking news and transfer rumors at Sportskeeda. He is currently pursuing an undergraduate degree in Accounting and has a work experience of around 3 years, having previously worked at the likes of Opera News Hub and Extratime Talk. He is a proponent of factual accuracy, meticulous research, verification of sources and journalistic ethics and standards.

An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel's journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles' fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium's incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.

Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.

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Edited by Ezekiel Olamide