Pep Guardiola hailed David Silva after the veteran Spaniard delivered an inspirational display in Manchester City’s 5-0 thrashing of Newcastle on Wednesday.

Silva scored a superb free-kick and set up the first and last goals of a one-sided Premier League victory for Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling at the Etihad Stadium.

The 34-year-old is leaving the club at the end of the season after a decade’s outstanding service and, although all games are currently being played behind closed doors, Guardiola is determined his countryman gets a fitting farewell.

He said: “We are disappointed but I have to say they were far too good for us. We have got to be brutally honest and say we did not do enough to lay a glove on them.

“We knew we were up against it. We can’t be without six or seven of our better players, especially when you come to a place like this, but I don’t want to use that as the excuse.

“We have to be better than that. It was too easy for them from the first whistle to the last. If we play like that here we are going to get beaten and we were.

“They were far too good for us in all departments but the manner of it upsets me greatly. I wanted us to put on more of a show than we did.”