'Sad' Bernardo Silva expects changes at Man City after 'very frustrating' season

By SABC Sport
21st February 2025

Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva anticipates changes at the club following a "very frustrating" season.

City experienced their earliest elimination from the Champions League since the 2012-13 season, losing 3-1 to Real Madrid on Wednesday after a 3-2 defeat in the first leg at the Etihad Stadium.

Currently, Pep Guardiola's team sits in fourth place in the Premier League, trailing leaders Liverpool by 17 points ahead of Sunday's clash.

Silva told ESPN: "Clearly, this season has been incredibly frustrating. There are things we can no longer fix, like the Champions League or winning the Premier League. We're out of both major competitions, so it's very, very disappointing."

"I'm confident the club will likely make changes at the end of the season because that's what happens when you don't win in football. We'll try to bring the club back to where it belongs."

Since joining City in 2017, Silva has secured 17 trophies, including six Premier League titles and one Champions League. He acknowledges that this is his most challenging season at the club.

"Without a doubt," he said. "It's been a tough season. There have been numerous games where we weren't close to our best."

"Against Madrid, we faced a very strong, experienced, and successful team in this competition. But we didn't do nearly enough to try to win. Madrid were far superior, and we have to accept that and work on improving for next season."

Injuries have hindered City this season, with Ballon d'Or winner Rodri suffering a right ACL injury in September. However, Silva, 30, insists that there are no excuses for the team's underperformance.

"The slump seems inexplicable to me as well," the Portugal international remarked. "I don't have the perfect answer. There are various factors that have affected the club. Obviously, injuries aren't an excuse. The levels of calmness and confidence aren't the same this season. The team's style of play isn't as sharp, and we need to get that back as soon as possible."

Silva expressed frustration with his team's performance at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.

"Once again, we gave up too many easy balls," he said. "We allowed them to dictate the game, which resulted in numerous mistakes, giving them opportunities to catch us. When you don't execute the basics correctly, you don't deserve to win a game like this."

Despite the team's struggles, Silva remains fully confident in Guardiola.

"Yes, of course I do," he affirmed. "That hasn't changed."

He also has complete faith in the players within the squad, believing that although they may be older, they are re-energized.