'Liverpool won something, Arsenal didn't' - Bernardo Silva launches extraordinary attack on rivals
Bernardo Silva embarked on an extraordinary take-down of Arsenal's title credentials on Sunday night, attacking their tactics, trophy record and time-wasting.
Manchester City were held to a draw in a thrilling encounter at the Etihad, which saw two first-half Arsenal goals after Erling Haaland's opener. Leandro Trossard was sent off just before half-time, setting up a 56-minute second half in which City played almost-exclusively in Arsenal's penalty area.
It took until the 98th minute for City to find a deserved equaliser - when John Stones fired in - as a bad-tempered affair which saw Arsenal deploy time-wasting and physical tactics finished honours even.
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And Bernardo held nothing back when speaking to TNT Brazil post-match, declaring: "There was only one team that came to play football."
He added: "The other came to play to the limits of what was possible to do and allowed by the referee, unfortunately. But at the end we got a draw, the best we could get considering the context of the last moments of the match. We're not happy as we wanted the three points, but personally I'm happy with the way we came to play and faced the game. I'm glad we always enter the pitch to try to win every match."
Bernardo also criticised referee Michael Oliver, who left City furious after calling over captain Kyle Walker when Rodri was forced off injured, before restarting play when Walker was out of position - resulting in Arsenal equalising from the City right. The Gunners had earlier signalled their intent with a questionable challenge in the first seconds from Kai Havertz on Rodri.
"It all started in the very first second. In the first action we realised what was going to happen. We had a player injured [Rodri] after they sent him to the ground twice in 10 minutes," Bernardo continued. "We had a goal conceded after the referee called our captain and then didn't allow him to recover his position. The second goal is already their usual block to our keeper allowed by the referee.
"And then the referee allowed a sequence of time-wasting events. The thing that bothers me the most is having a lot of meetings with the FA at the beginning of each season. They tell us they will control this kind of situation and will stop them, but at the end it doesn't have any worth. They say a lot but nothing happens."
Bernardo concluded his comments - which are bound to infuriate those at the Emirates - by mocking Arsenal for their lack of Premier League or Champions League titles in recent years. Asked to compare City's current rivalry with Arsenal to their battles with Liverpool over the last decade, Bernardo said: "The difference? I don't know. Maybe that Liverpool have already won a Premier League, Arsenal haven't. That Liverpool have won a Champions League, Arsenal haven't.
"Liverpool always faced us face to face to try to win the games, so by this perspective the games against Arsenal haven't been like the ones we had and have against Liverpool. So yes, maybe a different rivalry."