‘It’s Not Fair’: Bernardo Silva Slams Fixture Scheduling After Man City Draw At Arsenal

Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva (X)

Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva has criticized football’s fixture schedulers, calling the scheduling “unfair” after City’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

Silva argued that the short turnaround between matches left his side at a distinct disadvantage ahead of one of the Premier League’s most high-profile clashes.

City faced Arsenal just 66 hours after their Champions League home win over Napoli, while Arsenal enjoyed a longer rest period, having played their European opener at Athletic Bilbao 48 hours earlier on Tuesday.

Silva insists this imbalance affected City’s performance, particularly after Erling Haaland gave them an early lead, only for Gabriel Martinelli to snatch a stoppage-time equalizer.

“The reality is we cannot come into one of the most important games in the season with such a disadvantage, in terms of rest. It is not fair to play one of these games like this,” Silva said.

“They had five days and we had two and a half. In one of the most important games, this cannot happen. I wasn’t feeling in perfect condition to play like this.”

Silva also highlighted the physical risks associated with such rapid turnarounds, pointing to teammate Abdukodir Khusanov’s injury as a consequence of congested scheduling.

“We saw Khusanov getting injured because these games demand a lot. I feel it is just frustrating that we couldn’t be at our best simply because of the decision of someone that thinks it is fair to come away after two and a half fewer days than Arsenal,” he added.

While acknowledging the pressures of multiple competitions, broadcasters, and UEFA commitments, Silva stressed that common sense should govern scheduling for marquee fixtures.

“This is one of the biggest games of the season. Players need to be in the same physical conditions; otherwise, it’s not fair,” he said.

(with AFP inputs)