Manchester City midfielder close to two-match Premier League ban | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola may have to step in with a word of caution for one member of his Manchester City squad as they close in on a two-match Premier League suspension.

Disciplinary management is becoming an increasingly important subplot of the ongoing Premier League title run-in, with Manchester City continuing to compete on multiple fronts and facing a demanding sequence of domestic fixtures.

With margins so fine at the top of the table, and just five points separating Arsenal and City – who have a game in hand, any enforced absences through suspension could have a significant impact on Pep Guardiola’s rotation plans.

Manchester City’s latest league outing – a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Newcastle at the Etihad Stadium – strengthened their position in the Premier League standings, but also nudged one key player closer to a potential spell on the sidelines.

Following his latest caution, Etihad Stadium captain Bernardo Silva now finds himself just a further two yellow cards away from a two-game suspension in the Premier League.

As such, should the Portugal international receive bookings against both Leeds at Elland Road and Nottingham Forest at the Etihad Stadium, he would be ruled out against West Ham at the London Stadium and potentially Chelsea at Stamford Bridge – depending on scheduling.

Other players to watch out for in the next five matches are Nico Gonzalez, Marc Guehi, and Gianluigi Donnarumma, although the latter two names would need to pick up yellow cards in all of the next five matches in order to receive a two-game suspension.

As for Nico, the Spaniard is currently on six yellow cards for the season, while Guehi and Donnarumma have five cautions to their name.

Under Premier League disciplinary thresholds, players who reach 10 yellow cards before their club completes 32 league matches automatically incur a two-game suspension.

For Bernardo Silva, the situation is particularly delicate through his role as captain and central figure in Pep Guardiola’s system, making his availability crucial ahead of challenging fixtures in the top-flight in particular.

With yellow cards in the Premier League counted separately from domestic cup competitions – unlike red cards, which apply across all competitions – Guardiola will be hoping his players can strike the right balance between aggression and discipline.

As the season heads toward its decisive weeks, keeping key figures on the pitch may prove just as important as tactical execution in Manchester City’s pursuit of silverware and the top-flight crown against Arsenal.