Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva has criticised the Premier League’s scheduling, arguing it put his team at a disadvantage in their draw against Arsenal.
According to BBC Sports on Monday, the midfielder highlighted the tight turnaround after their midweek Champions League match, which left City with limited recovery time.
Arsenal secured a 1-1 draw at Emirates Stadium, with Gabriel Martinelli scoring a dramatic stoppage-time equalizer.
City had just 66 hours to prepare following their 2-0 victory over Napoli in the Champions League, while Arsenal benefited from a longer rest after their 2-0 win at Athletic Bilbao.
“It is not fair to play one of these games like this. It is just not right.
“The reality is we cannot come into one of the most important games in the season with such a disadvantage, in terms of rest.
“I wasn’t feeling in perfect condition to play like this, and people who have not played at the highest level don’t know how it feels to play a game like this. You need to be in your best condition,” he said.
Manager Pep Guardiola said City were “incredibly tired” against Arsenal.
In January he said English teams are at a disadvantage in Europe because of Premier League scheduling as they always put “the toughest schedules for the European teams in the important stages”.
Silva, who made 62 appearances for City and Portugal last season, said: “I don’t think that they are trying to make us lose a game.
“It could happen to Arsenal or Liverpool in a few months. But when you are playing an Arsenal v City, or a City v Liverpool, or a Liverpool v Arsenal, you need to have a bit of common sense, and understanding of these situations.”
