Bernardo Silva believes Manchester City would have beaten Arsenal to the Premier League title if not for a 'transitional season' and costly errors, as the Gunners close in on their first championship since 2004.
Title Race Heats Up
Arsenal currently sit two points clear of City with two games remaining, putting them in pole position to secure the crown. Mikel Arteta's side can extend their lead to five points with a win at home to Burnley on Monday night, before City travel to Bournemouth next Tuesday, three days after their FA Cup final against Chelsea. On the final day, Arsenal visit Crystal Palace while City host Aston Villa.
Silva's Controversial Claims
In an interview with The Athletic, Silva argued that Liverpool have been City's main title rivals during his nine years at the club, not Arsenal. He suggested Arsenal would not be on course to win the league if City 'didn't make so many mistakes'.
'They've [Arsenal] been growing and it's a team that has been together for, what, five years now, so it's only natural that they would man up a little bit and start challenging for titles,' Silva said. 'No, I'm not in love. I do believe our main rivals were Liverpool by far. I also believe, and I know this is very subjective, that if we were not in a transitional season and if we didn't make so many mistakes, we would have won this league. I don't say we would have won easily but we would have won this league. So it's quite frustrating.'
Refereeing Consistency Criticised
Silva also voiced frustration over the decision to rule out West Ham's goal against Arsenal last weekend for a foul on David Raya, citing a lack of consistency from officials at set-pieces. He echoed Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler's criticism of time-wasting during set-pieces this season.
'I think it's a foul. The only problem is the consistency of the referees. It's not just this. It's everything that happens around, so in this picture you see three or four fouls taking place. It's a foul, but it's quite frustrating when they allow this type of contact at times during the season and then they decide not to allow it in such a game,' Silva said.
'It's a shame. The Premier League is such a good product in terms of the referees letting the game flow and not whistling every challenge. All of this helps to make it the best league in the world in my opinion. But then on the other hand, you look at what has been happening with set-pieces in the last two seasons and it's a bit of a shame to see teams taking one minute over throw-ins, free kicks, goal kicks, corners… I wouldn't say that's the way the game should be going.'
