Silva: City are improving with every game
David Silva believes Manchester City are getting better with every match under Pep Guardiola as they work on a playing style the midfielder regards as very much unique to them.
City continued their 100 per cent start to the season with a 3-1 Premier League victory over West Ham on Sunday and were hugely impressive at times in doing so.
With Silva among those to the fore, the Blues - particularly in the first half - produced the kind of slick, dominant football the club's fans will have been hoping for following boss Guardiola's arrival over the summer.
And Silva said: "The team is improving every game, we're showing that on the pitch.
"We created a lot of goalscoring opportunities and we hope to keep improving."
When it was then put to Silva that City's display at the Etihad Stadium was reminiscent of Guardiola's former club Barcelona at times, the 30-year-old Spain international said: "We have our own style.
"We have good players who like to have the ball, and we also have fast players so we can play on the counter. I think we're improving every day and that's good for the team."
City had a richly-deserved 2-0 lead by half-time courtesy of a composed Raheem Sterling strike and Fernandinho header.
Their intensity dropped after the break and West Ham pulled a goal back through Michail Antonio - who was handed his first England call-up later on Sunday - but Sterling then wrapped things up in stoppage time with another cool finish.
The only real negative for City was Sergio Aguero's apparent elbow on Winston Reid in the second half that went unpunished at the time but could lead to retrospective action and a ban ruling the striker out of the derby clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford that comes after the international break.
The Football Association will await referee Andre Marriner's report before deciding whether to take action against Aguero.
Once again watching the team from the bench was Joe Hart, who continues to be linked with a move away from City.
Torino are the latest club reported to have shown interest in the England goalkeeper.
And the Serie A outfit's director of sport Gianluca Petrachi was quoted as telling Sky Sport Italia: "We're working on it, but if it isn't going to be Hart then we will keep on working for somebody else, even if there are only a few days to go until the market closes."
City last week announced the signing of Chile goalkeeper Claudio Bravo from Barcelona.
Bravo was not deemed ready by Guardiola to feature in Sunday's match, which saw Willy Caballero play in goal for the hosts.
And when asked afterwards about the prospect of Bravo making his City debut in the Manchester derby on September 10, Guardiola said: "I don't know what will happen with the national team.
"When he is back here he will start to train and after I will take the decision about the responsibility.
"(But) these guys - not just Claudio, all of them - have personality to play everywhere."
West Ham have had a miserable few days, with the loss at City following on from the east London club making a shock exit from Europe.
But boss Slaven Bilic, who has had a number of players missing from his team due to fitness issues, was looking forward in upbeat mood.
Bilic, quoted on West Ham's official website, said: "I have praise for the team for the second-half performance.
"It gives us hope, that when the players who are out injured come back after the international break, that it's going to be different.
"(Manuel) Lanzini came back and he's not injured any more, then it should be (Dimitri) Payet, (Sofiane) Feghouli, maybe a few others and maybe (Andy) Carroll.
"Of course it's going to change totally the shape of the team and also the quality."