Man Metropolis´s Silva fumes at unfair scheduling of Arsenal conflict
Bernardo Silva has criticised the Premier League’s scheduling of Manchester Metropolis’s contest with Arsenal following their Champions League commitments in midweek.
Gabriel Martinelli’s very good equaliser ensured a share of the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Emirates Stadium in second-half stoppage time, cancelling out Erling Haaland’s ninth-minute strike.
However Mikel Arteta’s staff went into the conflict with a slight benefit, having began their Champions League marketing campaign with a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao final Tuesday.
Metropolis received by the identical scoreline in Europe in opposition to Napoli, however have been in motion 48 hours later, giving them two days much less preparation time earlier than making the journey to north London.
“It isn’t truthful to play one in every of these video games like this. It’s simply not proper,” stated Silva.
“The fact is we can’t are available to probably the most necessary video games within the season with such a drawback, by way of relaxation.
“I wasn’t feeling in an ideal situation to play like this, and individuals who haven’t performed on the highest degree don’t know the way it feels to play a recreation like this.
“You should be in your finest situation.”
A giant week. We hold going pic.twitter.com/8O50reI5WF
— Manchester Metropolis (@ManCity) September 21, 2025
Pep Guardiola conceded at full-time that his gamers have been “extremely drained” in opposition to the Gunners, which was maybe evident throughout their show.
Certainly, Metropolis recorded their lowest-ever possession common by a Guardiola-led staff in a top-flight league match on Sunday, whereas the 2 lowest have each been in video games away to Arsenal within the Premier League (32.8% and 36.5% in March 2023).
Metropolis have received simply seven factors from their opening 5 Premier League matches, their worst return after 5 league video games of a marketing campaign since 2006-07 underneath Stuart Pearce (4) and are already eight factors adrift of leaders Liverpool.
“I don’t assume that they’re attempting to make us lose a recreation,” Silva added. “It might occur to Arsenal or Liverpool in just a few months.
“However if you end up taking part in an Arsenal v Metropolis, or a Metropolis v Liverpool, or a Liverpool v Arsenal, that you must have a little bit of frequent sense, and understanding of those conditions.”
Metropolis’s hectic schedule continues on Wednesday with an EFL Cup tie with Huddersfield City, which is adopted by two video games in 4 days in opposition to Burnley and Monaco within the Premier League and Champions League, respectively.
