Bernardo Silva issues fresh Premier League title dig at Arsenal following 5-1 Manchester City drubbing | OneFootball

Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva believes Arsenal’s rout over his side last season was inspired by Pep Guardiola’s players ‘taking away their title’ twice in succession.

The Portuguese international’s reflection comes as City prepare for another crucial meeting with the Gunners, this time at the Emirates Stadium, where both sides remain firmly in the early-season Premier League title race.

Bernardo Silva’s words carry additional weight given Pep Guardiola has this week openly praised Mikel Arteta’s squad as one of the most complete in Europe, even describing them as “What a team,” in every department.

Silva’s framing of last season’s events underscores the psychological edge Arsenal have sought to build after consecutive near misses in title races in 2022/23 and 2023/24 – seasons that saw the north London side push Guardiola’s men to the wire, only to fall short in closing weeks.

Their 5-1 thrashing of Manchester City at the Emirates Stadium last season was viewed by many as a statement of intent from Arsenal, but ultimately it was Arne Slot’s Liverpool who went on to lift the title.

Manchester City, meanwhile, endured a turbulent run during the winter months of that campaign, plagued by injuries and dips in form, before finishing strongly in the second half of the season to book themselves a place in this season’s UEFA Champions League.

Pep Guardiola and his players have since been clear that their focus is on avoiding a similar slump this year, particularly with demanding Champions League fixtures against the likes of Real Madrid on the agenda.

Speaking as part of the build-up to Manchester City’s latest meeting with Arsenal in the Premier League, Bernardo Silva pointed towards the back-to-back top-flight title race victories over Mikel Arteta’s side when looking back on last season’s 5-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium.

“It was a period where we didn’t have the level to compete with any team. They saw the opportunity to come after the guys who took away their title for two years and came for us which is normal,” the Portuguese international insisted.

He continued, “It was tough for three months and then when we recovered it was too late, because we were already 25 points or something behind. If you look at the last 15 to 20 games, we did well.

“We were the team in the second half of the season which had most points. The team recovered to the right level at the end of the season but, it was a period where it was tough, and they took advantage.”

Silva’s comments add another layer to the ongoing rivalry between the two clubs, one that has evolved from teacher and student – with Arteta having worked under Guardiola – into a battle of equals in domestic and European football.

His remarks also mirror his earlier insistence this week that Liverpool and Arsenal should be seen as the real favourites for this season’s Premier League crown, downplaying Manchester City’s own chances despite their pedigree.

With Pep Guardiola balancing squad fitness concerns – notably around Rayan Cherki, Rayan Ait-Nouri, and Omar Marmoush’s crucial absences – City’s resilience will be tested once again, while Arsenal will see Sunday’s clash as another opportunity to prove they can usurp City.