Frank Christian
Bernardo Silva Addresses Manchester City’s Form Struggles
Bernardo Silva has conveyed to his Manchester City teammates that their current injury troubles should not be an excuse for their recent poor performances.
In the UEFA Champions League clash against Sporting CP in Lisbon, City started strong with an early goal from Phil Foden but ultimately faced a heavy 4-1 defeat.
This loss compounded earlier setbacks, including a 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth, marking their first Premier League loss in over a year, alongside a Carabao Cup elimination by Tottenham.
City’s struggles have been exacerbated by a string of injuries. Key players like John Stones and Jack Grealish have been absent during these matches, along with long-term injuries affecting Rodri and Oscar Bobb.
Ruben Dias has recently been added to the injury list, while returning players Jeremy Doku and Kevin De Bruyne have only participated as substitutes. Additionally, defenders Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake have been playing through injuries.
This situation has resulted in increased responsibilities for Silva, who remains fit. However, the Portuguese international insists that a team of City’s caliber cannot just point to injury problems for their struggles.
Silva expressed his frustrations, stating, “It’s disappointing not just about the [Sporting] game but also our current phase. We need to figure out what’s going wrong. While injuries affect us, we must adapt.”
He highlighted, “We lost control after conceding their first goal, which boosted Sporting, who had been struggling to make an impact.” He recognized that crucial matches hinge on such moments and expressed that despite their knowledge of the competition, they struggled with execution in pivotal situations.
Silva concluded, “We feel let down as this team is capable of achieving much more. Injuries should not serve as an excuse.”
Manchester City will return to Premier League action this Saturday with an away match against Brighton, who are expected to take advantage of the champions’ current vulnerabilities with an aggressive and quick playing style.
