Bernardo Silva launched into a scathing critique of Arsenal’s performance and their Premier League credentials after Manchester City were held to a 2-2 draw in a tense match.
Following the dramatic showdown at the Etihad, where City struggled to break through Arsenal’s defense after Erling Haaland’s opening goal, Bernardo didn’t hold back in his post-match interview with TNT Brazil. The Portuguese midfielder took aim at Arsenal’s tactics, time-wasting, and their overall trophy record, painting a sharp contrast between them and City.
In the match, Arsenal clawed back with two first-half goals, and although they were reduced to 10 men after Leandro Trossard’s red card, the Gunners held on for a draw in what became an increasingly heated contest. City, despite their relentless pressure and domination in the second half, needed John Stones’ 98th-minute equalizer to rescue a point.
Speaking after the game, Bernardo made his frustration clear, saying, “There was only one team that came to play football.” He accused Arsenal of pushing the boundaries of the rules, claiming they played on the edge of what the referee allowed. “The other came to play to the limits of what was possible to do and allowed by the referee, unfortunately.”
Bernardo emphasized his satisfaction with City’s efforts, even though they couldn’t secure the win. “We wanted the three points, but personally, I’m happy with the way we approached the game,” he said, adding, “I’m glad we always come to win.”
The midfielder also took a swipe at referee Michael Oliver’s handling of the match, which left City infuriated. He referred to a controversial incident when Kyle Walker was called over while Rodri was injured, and Arsenal exploited Walker being out of position to score. Bernardo described the situation, saying, “It all started in the very first second,” pointing to Kai Havertz’s early tackle on Rodri as a sign of Arsenal’s physicality and tactics.
Bernardo went on to criticize what he perceived as inconsistency in refereeing, highlighting the frequent stoppages and time-wasting allowed by the officials. He expressed disappointment with the FA’s lack of enforcement, despite preseason promises. “The thing that bothers me the most is having a lot of meetings with the FA… they tell us they’ll control this, but at the end, nothing happens.”
His fiery remarks didn’t stop there. Bernardo also took the opportunity to mock Arsenal’s lack of recent success compared to Liverpool, City’s other rival. When asked to compare City’s rivalry with Arsenal to that with Liverpool, he bluntly stated, “Maybe the difference is that Liverpool have already won a Premier League, Arsenal haven’t. Liverpool have won a Champions League, Arsenal haven’t.”
He suggested that Liverpool’s head-to-head battles with City have been more competitive, while hinting that Arsenal, despite their current resurgence, haven’t posed the same level of threat. “Liverpool always faced us face to face to try to win… so maybe it’s a different rivalry,” he concluded, leaving no doubt about his stance on Arsenal’s title credentials.
