Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva has hit out at the Premier League and UEFA over what he described as unfair scheduling, after his side’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal in the English Premier League. The Portuguese midfielder claimed that City were placed at a huge disadvantage, having only 66 hours to recover from their 2-nil Champions League victory over Napoli before facing one of their toughest league rivals.
In contrast, Arsenal enjoyed five full days of rest ahead of Sunday’s high-stakes clash at the Emirates. Silva argued that the imbalance not only compromised his team’s performance but also hurt the spectacle of the match, as City were forced into a more defensive setup than usual. Sports Expert Fabrizio Romano quoted the player via his official X account.
He Tweeted:
Bernardo Silva: We cannot come to one of the most important games [vs Arsenal] in the season with such a disadvantage, in terms of rest. It’s not fair to play one of these games like this. It’s just not right.
Silva, who admitted he did not feel in peak condition, insisted his criticism was not about the result but about common sense in fixture planning.
He said:
We don’t mind playing every three or four days, don’t mind playing 60 games. But what we ask for is common sense for one of biggest games of the season. I don’t think they’re trying to make us lose – it could happen to Arsenal or Liverpool in few months
The midfielder stressed that the issue goes beyond Manchester City, warning that Arsenal, Liverpool, or any other top club could face the same situation in the future. He also revealed that repeated attempts by captains to raise the matter with football authorities have been ignored.
They don’t listen to us, It never changes. But when you have games like Arsenal vs City or City vs Liverpool, there has to be more common sense. Otherwise, it’s not fair competition.
