Manchester City playmaker David Silva impressed former team-mate Owen Hargreaves and ex-Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas with his two-goal display in the victory over Stoke City.
"He makes players around him better," Jenas said. "He buys you time which is what you need as a midfield player or a striker.
"It must be a dream for those players to be on the same pitch as him and receive the ball in the areas that they want to."
Silva has now been involved in 120 goals – 47 goals and 73 assists – since joining Man City in 2010, which is the leading figure for midfielders in the Premier League since that time.
Midfield goals/assists since 2010/11
| Player | Apps | Goals | Assists | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| David Silva | 244 | 47 | 73 | 120 |
| Eden Hazard | 200 | 68 | 38 | 106 |
| Juan Mata | 217 | 48 | 47 | 95 |
| Yaya Toure | 226 | 62 | 31 | 93 |
| Christian Eriksen | 163 | 38 | 46 | 84 |
| Gylfi Sigurdsson | 209 | 46 | 36 | 82 |
Guardiola praise
His manager, Pep Guardiola, also hailed the Spaniard's all-round performance on Monday night.
"I am very pleased for David because he's scored a lot of important goals for us this season," Guardiola told Man City's official website. "He controlled the tempo tonight.
"Normally, people talk about his skills and his technical ability and with those attributes, say he cannot be aggressive or a competitor – but believe me, he has everything."
Hargreaves added: "He is probably one of the best players in the history of Manchester City and one of the best No 10s in the Premier League."