Man City Captain Delivers Brutal Dig at Arsenal Before Blockbuster Premier League Showdown
Manchester City skipper Bernardo Silva was direct in his assertion that Liverpool, not Arsenal, continues to be his team's primary Premier League adversary "without question" as the Reds successfully claimed two championships from Pep Guardiola's squad while the Gunners' pursuit of top-division success continues.
Silva was a key component of the dominant City team that forced Arsenal into second-place finishes in back-to-back campaigns during 2023 and 2024. Mikel Arteta eventually guided his squad past his previous club last season only to fall short against Arne Slot's Liverpool.
The Merseyside club had positioned themselves as legitimate championship contenders under Jürgen Klopp before Arsenal emerged as competitors. From 2018 to 2022, Liverpool accumulated 357 Premier League points compared to City's 358, securing three championships against Klopp's single victory in 2020.
Liverpool's capacity to match City's pace and even exceed them explains Silva's confidence in downplaying Arsenal's recent progress. "Our primary adversary without question is Liverpool," he shared with Sky Sports ahead of City's clash with the Gunners on Sunday, "because they're the team that consistently challenged us for championships, and they actually secured titles.
"You can certainly observe a club like Arsenal improving year after year, and becoming capable of contending for those championships, though they haven't yet achieved that level of success."
Manchester United, who haven't come close to claiming a championship from City since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure 12 years ago, represent rivals only through geographical closeness in Silva's view. "I'd suggest that Manchester United has experienced quite a challenging period for their organization in recent years—it's a rivalry due to our shared city," he explained.
"Therefore, the rivalries differ significantly, but up to this point, I'd argue that our opponents, our major opponents, have consistently been Liverpool."
Despite not gaining City's recognition as a primary challenger, Arsenal delivered a comprehensive breakdown of Guardiola's team during their previous encounter at the Emirates. The Gunners cruised to a 5–1 victory which Silva acknowledged "represented a truly difficult period for us."
Rodri, Silva's midfield partner at City, kept that Emirates clash in his thoughts approaching Sunday's return match in north London. "We now have an opportunity for payback against Arsenal, since we were struggling and they capitalized on our situation," he stated.
"And yes, we aim to demonstrate that we're not the same team anymore, and we'll compete and attempt to defeat them on their ground."