Bernardo Silva has admitted Manchester City are “out of the title race,” acknowledging the team’s struggles and the significant gap to Liverpool and Arsenal.
Bernardo Silva, the Portuguese midfielder and key cog in Manchester City’s recent years of dominance, has delivered a sobering assessment of his team’s current predicament. “At this moment, I think we have to accept reality.
“I’m not looking at Liverpool; we are far below them in the league. I can’t look at Liverpool or Arsenal. I’m focused on the next game, trying to get three points and climb up the table,” Silva said, reflecting a stark departure from the confidence that has defined the Pep Guardiola era.
“But at this moment, City is out of the title race. It’s too late for us, there’s no doubt about it. People always say you don’t win the league by January, but you can lose it,” added the 30-year-old.
City’s sharp decline has been remarkable.
With only two wins in their last 14 matches in all competitions, they sit sixth in the Premier League, 14 points adrift of league leaders Liverpool, who also have a game in hand.
For a team that lost just three games in the entirety of last season’s league title win while conceding 34 goals, the current campaign has been an uncharacteristic struggle. Already, they have suffered six defeats and conceded 26 goals, with their defensive frailties and lack of cutting edge in attack glaringly evident.
City’s next opportunity to stem the tide comes against West Ham, who will be without their captain Jarrod Bowen, who suffered a fractured foot in their demoralising 5-0 loss to Liverpool.
Julen Lopetegui, West Ham’s under-pressure manager, acknowledged Bowen’s absence as a blow but called on the rest of his squad to step up: “Jarrod is one of our main players for sure and our captain too, but now we have to find a solution and it’s the moment for other players to show that they are ready to help us.”
While City looks to regroup, the title race appears to have narrowed to two contenders: Liverpool and Arsenal.
Liverpool, six points ahead of Arsenal with a game in hand, host Manchester United this weekend. United’s dire form—four consecutive defeats—provides Arne Slott’s side with an opportunity to consolidate their position at the top.
Meanwhile, Arsenal faces a tricky trip to Brighton, fresh off a hard-fought New Year’s Day victory over Brentford.
For Arsenal, the stakes remain high. Eight points clear of City, Mikel Arteta’s side has emerged as Liverpool’s closest competitor with Chelsea dropping off over the busy holiday period.
City, in contrast, have been unable to shake off their malaise, with their once-vaunted defence looking porous and their attack often lacking inspiration.
The context of Silva’s comments underlines the gravity of City’s situation. To not “look at Liverpool or Arsenal” is not simply a refusal to entertain unrealistic ambitions; it is an admission of the ground City must cover just to salvage respectability.
For Guardiola, the challenge will be to restore focus and belief in a squad that, for years, has been synonymous with a grinding, relentless superiority.
Arsenal, however, will be hoping he is unable to do so.