"Right now it's about accepting the reality" - Manchester City star Bernardo Silva says club are out of PL title race
Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva claimed that his side is 'completely out of' the Premier League title race. The Portuguese playmaker didn't rule out the possibility of a late comeback but conceded that winning the title is a pipe dream.
Since October 31, the Cityzens have experienced one of the worst runs of form in the Pep Guardiola era at the club. The reigning English champions have managed just two wins in their last 14 fixtures across all competitions, losing nine and drawing three.
Due to their floundering performances, Manchester City sit sixth in the English top flight with 31 points after 19 rounds of fixtures. They are 14 points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand. They are also tantalizingly close to group-stage elimination in the UEFA Champions League, sitting 22nd in the table with just two wins in six games (two draws, two losses).
Without mincing any words, Silva delivered a straightforward assessment of City's current situation. He said (via Sky Sports).
"Right now it's about accepting the reality. I'm not looking at Liverpool, I'm sixth or seventh in the league. I cannot be looking at Liverpool or Arsenal or whatever. I'm looking right now at the next game, try and win three points to be fifth, to be fourth and to be third. And then ten games from the end of the season you can start making a little bit of math to see where you can go."
"I would say (the Premier League title is) not impossible because in football there are no impossibles, but right now, Man City is completely out of the title race. There's no question about that. Its too late for us. People always say that you don't win a league until January but you can lose it, and this season the reality is we've lost it," Silva added.
Silva's contract at the Etihad Stadium is set to expire upon the conclusion of the 2025-26 campaign. With rumors about his role in Guardiola's squad being unclear, the 30-year-old faces an uncertain future.
"It has been positive" - Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola reveals message from club's top brass amid torrid form
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has revealed club chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak's message to him amid the club's torrid run of form.
According to the Spanish tactician, Al Mubarak, the chairman of the City Football Group, has been in frequent contact with him over the past few weeks. He also revealed that the chairman extended his utmost support to him, claiming that conversations have always been 'positive'.
In a recent media interaction, the Manchester City boss said (via CityXtra):
"Every week we (him and Al Mubarak) talk, I incredibly feel supported, has behaved again – maybe like it happened in the first season but it was completely different – and we are both knowing it."
"When there is a moment that something wrong happened, we are going to take a decision and it happens but I feel incredibly, incredibly supported by him... (He) always said, 'OK, the situation is what it is and what we have to do to get better, to improve the team, and come on, for the next one', always it has been positive," Guardiola added.
Manchester City's upcoming fixture is a Premier League clash against West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium on January 4.