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BERNARDO SILVA has criticized Manchester City for “playing like children” after their defeat to Manchester United.
Despite gaining an early advantage with a goal from Josko Gvardiol in the first half, City fell victim to two late goals from their rivals.
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This outcome marked Pep Guardiola‘s squad achieving merely one victory in their last 11 games.
Following the match, Silva, 30, expressed to Sky Sports that City “got what they deserved” from the encounter.
He commented: “What transpired was well-deserved. At this level, a match or two might be seen as unfortunate, but we cannot blame this on luck or bad fortune—ten matches tell a different story.
“In the 87th minute of a derby, leading 1-0, our corner turned into a penalty for them. Making silly decisions in the dying moments invites that outcome.
“From my point of view, one team looked capable of winning, yet we were the ones who walked away empty-handed. It’s not about just one match; our recent displays have been subpar.
“We need to scrutinize our choices. One might think, ‘oh, that’s a bit unlucky,’ but it isn’t. It all comes down to the decisions made. Today, in the final minutes, we played like it was an Under-15 match.”
On the “silly” decisions taken by City, Silva elaborated: “We must learn to avoid them.
“It’s frustrating because until the 86th minute, we were the stronger side.
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“After a corner for Man City, we allowed a centre-back to remain, eventually finishing with the ball at our goalkeeper’s feet. There’s no justification for that.”
Silva, a player with six Premier League titles under his belt, did not hesitate to call out his teammates as well.
Pep Guardiola admits ‘I’m the manager and I’m not good enough’ as Manchester City faces another defeat
He continued: “When this kind of thing happens repeatedly over ten matches, we must take responsibility and pinpoint areas that need improvement.
“We need to communicate better about when to play short or hold possession in the corner. At a minimum, if the ball reaches one of our midfielders, we should push it into the corner. We shouldn’t be putting ourselves in jeopardy. It’s not just about the pass from Matheus to the keeper.
“It’s an entire chain of passes from Ruben [Dias] to Matheus [Nunes], and then to Kyle [Walker]; we must significantly enhance our performance.
“We need to show greater experience and intelligence. At this level, even when you’re technically superior, you must avoid defeat due to poor choices.
“It’s clear that we’re not pleased at the moment. This isn’t just about this match but the last month as well. We need to elevate our performance, both as individuals and as a team, as our current display doesn’t reflect Manchester City’s standards.”
The loss pushed City out of the top four, as they get ready to face Aston Villa in their next game.
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Here are the disappointing results from the last ten matches of the three-time defending Premier League champions…
Oct 30: Tottenham 2 Man City 1 – DEFEAT
Nov 2: Bournemouth 2 Man City 1 – DEFEAT
Nov 5: Sporting Lisbon 4 Man City 1 – DEFEAT
Nov 9: Brighton 2 Man City 1 – DEFEAT
Nov 23: Man City 0 Tottenham 4 – DEFEAT
Nov 26: Man City 3 Feyenoord 3 – DRAW
Dec 1: Liverpool 2 Man City 0 – DEFEAT
Dec 4: Man City 3 Nottingham Forest – WIN
Dec 7: Crystal Palace 2 Man City 2 – DRAW
Dec 11: Juventus 2 Man City 0 – DEFEAT
TOTAL – WINS 1, DRAWS 2, DEFEATS 7
