A Knife Called Salah: How Liverpool Became Rodri & Bernardo Silva’s Ultimate Challenge

A Knife Called Salah: How Liverpool Became Rodri & Bernardo Silva’s Ultimate Challenge

In the high-stakes world of the Premier League, where rivalries are fierce and margins for error slim, two of Manchester City’s finest—Rodri and Bernardo Silva—have separately identified the same adversary as their sternest test. That adversary is Liverpool, and particularly their talisman Mohamed Salah.

Rodri’s Respect: “Unbelievable Liverpool” and the Sharp Edge of Salah

Rodri, the Ballon d’Or winner and midfield lynchpin for City, has been open about how difficult it has been to face Liverpool, especially when Salah is in form. In interviews, he’s described Liverpool during his first season as “unbelievable” — an era when they seemed almost forged in the heat of constant pressure. (Manchester City News)

More than just the collective might of Klopp’s side, it’s Salah individually that Rodri highlights as the sharpest tool in their arsenal:

“He was like a knife … especially at Anfield,” Rodri said, calling Salah in his prime the toughest player he’s ever faced in the Premier League. (tribuna.com)

Salah’s style — incisive, clinical, sharply instinctive — seems to get to Rodri in ways that others don’t. It’s not about flair alone; it’s about the capacity to change matches, to punish gaps, and to make the “knife’s cut” when margins are tight. Anfield amplifies this: the crowd, the rhythm, the tradition — it all seems to sharpen the edge. (Sportskeeda)

Bernardo Silva, the Long View: Liverpool as the Premier League’s Hardest Rival

Bernardo Silva takes a slightly different angle. While Rodri singles out Salah, Silva looks at Liverpool as the team, the opponent, the bar that City have had to continually measure themselves against. When asked which Premier League opponent was the toughest, he promptly picked Liverpool. He pointed out not only their quality, but the historical difficulty City have had in beating them over the years. (The Empire of The Kop)

Silva’s view acknowledges that it’s not just one player or one season — it’s a recurring theme. Liverpool have been consistently among the most challenging teams for Manchester City, taking points, delivering pressure, and rarely making things easy. (Daily Post Nigeria)

The £46M “Toughest” — Why That Figure Matters

You asked about “$46M” (or more properly, £≈43–$55m) in connection with this. That figure matches the reported amount Liverpool paid Roma in 2017 to bring in Salah: £36.9 million up front, rising to about £43.9 million with add-ons. (This Is Anfield)

So when Rodri or Bernardo Silva refer to Salah as their toughest opponent — so often in his “prime” — they’re implicitly pointing at someone whom Liverpool acquired for that kind of fee. It’s a reminder that so much of the sport is about value: not just what a transfer costs, but what the player delivers over time. Salah has delivered far beyond his fee; the impact on matches, on City’s plans, on Liverpool’s success is immense.

What This Says About Liverpool, City, and the Premier League

• Liverpool’s continued relevance: Even as City have dominated much of recent seasons, Liverpool remain a benchmark. Being named “toughest opponent” by two of City’s most important players underscores Liverpool’s staying power.
• Rodri & Bernardo Silva’s esteem for their rivals: Both players have earned praise for being modest, intelligent, and high-performing. That they openly admit to being tested most by Salah and Liverpool shows psychological respect, and it implies that they see these matches not just in terms of statistics but in terms of feeling, pressure, and moment.
• The human side of football: It’s one thing to say “Liverpool are hard competition.” It’s another to talk about specific atmospheres, specific players, the tension of Anfield. For Rodri, saying “going to Anfield is like a knife” reveals how an opponent can become a visceral challenge. For Silva, calling Liverpool “always the toughest” reflects years of tactical wrestling and mental strain.
• Value doesn’t end on the balance sheet: That Salah cost Liverpool around £43–44 million makes his continuingly high performance even more impressive. That fee seems modest now, given what he brings — goals, assists, consistency, moments that turn games. The fact that Rodri and Silva refer back to that era is almost a vindication of Liverpool’s recruitment and Salah’s development.

In conclusion, Rodri and Bernardo Silva’s agreement on who gives them the hardest time — Salah the player, Liverpool the club — does more than reflect personal opinions. It shines a light on what greatness looks like: consistency, momentous performances, mental strength, and ability to deliver when it matters most. And for Liverpool, it’s a badge of honour: even in years when they aren’t always the champions, they still maintain a reputation — maybe the toughest reputation — among their fiercest rivals.

If you like, I can dig up more quotes or statistics comparing Rodri’s and Silva’s records against Salah / Liverpool over the years, to put numbers behind these opinions?