"When you have technology, there's just no excuse" - Bernardo Silva slams VAR's 'big mistake' in Manchester City's FA Cup final loss
Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva rued VAR's contentious calll to not send off Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson for handling the ball in City's 1-0 defeat in the FA Cup final on Saturday (May 17).
Eberechi Eze's 16th-minute strike proved to be the difference between the two teams at the Wembley. Although City dominated possesson (78.3%), had more shots (23-7) and shots on target (6-2), they failed to find the back of the net, including a missed penalty from Omar Marmoush.
Just before that save, Henderson could have been sent off for apparently handling the ball outside the area, potentially denying Erling Haaland a goalscoring chance. However, VAR thought otherwise, incensing City players, with Henderson going on to produce a slew of other saves to deny the Cityzens.
Offering his take on the incident, Silva said (as per the Mirror):
"You play in the best league in the world, teams work a lot to arrive at these stages and to perform. If we lose, it should be - for us or any team - because we don't perform well. It shouldn't be like this. When you have technology, there's just no excuse for the mistakes that happen."
"We're a bit too used to these kinds of situations. I've watched it now, and I think it's a big mistake, because playing 60 minutes with one more player can make a difference."
The Portugal international added:
"I don't like to make excuses at the end of games that we lose. I want to give credit to this Palace team, because they're a very good side. They deserved it. They ran like crazy."
Victory marked Palace's first-ever major trophy, while Manchester City will have a first trophyless season under the legendary Guardiola since 2017.
How has Bernardo Silva fared for Manchester City this season?
Bernardo Silva hasn't had the best of seasons for Manchester City. The 30-year-old has registered just four goals and as many assists in 47 games across competitions.
Three of those goals and all four assists have come in 31 outings in the Premier League, where Pep Guardiola's side have work to do to finish fifth and confirm UEFA Champions League football next season. Silva's other goal came in the shootout defeat to crosstown rivals Manchester United in the Community Shield.
Manchester City are sixth in the Premier League, with 65 points from 36 games, trailing fifth-placed Aston Villa by a point but have a game in hand. They next take on Bournemouth at home on Tuesday (May 20) before ending their campaign at Fulham five days later.