Bernardo Silva at risk of Premier League ban for Manchester City against Arsenal | OneFootball

Manchester City are at serious risk of losing their club captain Bernardo Silva for the crunch meeting with Arsenal in the Premier League.

The Portuguese international has been the heartbeat of Pep Guardiola’s side this term, assuming the captaincy and leading the club to a Carabao Cup triumph and a record-extending eighth consecutive FA Cup semi-final.

However, his combative style in the middle of the park has seen him accumulate a significant cautions in just 30 top-flight appearances, leaving him on the brink of a forced spell on the sidelines in the coming weeks.

As Manchester City prepare for a pivotal trip to Stamford Bridge to face Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea, there is certainly no margin for error. The Blues trail Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal by nine points – albeit with a game in hand – and the prospect of facing the league leaders without their most experienced midfield is a scenario Guardiola will be desperate to avoid.

Why Bernardo could be banned vs Arsenal

In the lead up to Manchester City’s highly-anticipated Premier League clash with Arsenal, Pep Guardiola will have one eye on the availability of his star man in midfield, Bernardo Silva.

The Etihad Stadium club captain is just one more booking away from a two-match suspension, meaning that should the Portugal international receive a card against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, he would miss the clash with Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium and Burnley at Turf Moor.

The timing of the disciplinary deadline adds a layer of tactical complexity to Sunday’s visit to London. As City have played 30 games, Bernardo Silva must navigate the matches against Chelsea and Arsenal without a single caution to clear the 32-game amnesty threshold.

If he fails to do so this weekend, he will be unavailable for arguably the most important match of Manchester City’s league campaign, leaving a significant void in a midfield and forcing an urgent rethink ahead of the clash with the Gunners.

Pep Guardiola must now decide whether to start his captain and risk a ban, or potentially bench the 31-year-old to ensure his availability for the Gunners, but simultaneously put his side’s chances of victory at Stamford Bridge at risk.

With Arsenal looking nearly flawless in their own pursuit of the title, any disadvantage for City could prove fatal to their hopes of bringing back the Premier League to Manchester and reclaiming the crown they last won in 2024.