Bernardo Silva admitted that Manchester City has hit a “dark place” after their crushing 4-1 loss to Sporting Lisbon at the Jose Alvalade Stadium. The defeat, City’s third in a row and first Champions League loss (outside of a shootout) since 2022, came after a hat-trick from Viktor Gyokeres, a former Coventry City striker.
Reflecting on the tough stretch, Silva expressed disappointment, saying, “It’s disappointing because we’re a bit in a dark place right now. Everything seems to be going the wrong way.” He noted that City has been struggling to capitalize on scoring opportunities while allowing goals too easily. “We definitely need to look inside and check what we’re not doing well, and we need to get better very quickly,” he added.
Manager Pep Guardiola, however, saw things differently and remained positive. Ahead of their upcoming game against Brighton, he stated, “I don’t agree with him. We are not in the dark side. We played really bad against Bournemouth but really good here. The only regret is conceding the third and fourth – the penalties were not necessary.” Guardiola emphasized his commitment to facing challenges head-on, adding, “What should we do? We go back to Manchester and prepare for the game at Brighton. I won’t give up, that’s for sure.”
The game initially seemed to be under City’s control as Phil Foden took advantage of a defensive error to score just four minutes in. However, Gyokeres quickly turned the match around, equalizing with a breakaway goal and later adding two more from the penalty spot after Maximiliano Araujo put Sporting in the lead. Adding to City’s frustrations, Erling Haaland missed a penalty that could have narrowed the deficit.
For Ruben Amorim, this victory marked a memorable farewell in his last home game before taking over at Manchester United. Following the match, Amorim expressed gratitude, saying, “Those who were here and have seen Sporting over the last four years deserved a night like this. It was very special.” While acknowledging the unique circumstances, he urged the team to keep their momentum going, focusing on the upcoming game against Braga. “Perhaps it was written in the stars we should end this way. I will keep these memories forever but I cannot enjoy them fully yet,” he said, reflecting on the emotional farewell.
