Manchester City’s latest Premier League match ended in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, leaving the champions with a sense of frustration and disappointment. The Blues had to come from behind twice to pick up a point, with Erling Haaland and Rico Lewis scoring the equalisers.
Speaking to BBC Sport after the match, Bernardo Silva was candid in his assessment of City’s performance. “With Man City, it’s always two points lost,” he said. “One point is better than zero, but we’re not happy at the moment. We know our situation with injuries. Coming to Crystal Palace is never easy, but we have to do better.“
Silva’s comments reflect the sense of discontent within the City camp. The champions have been struggling to find consistency this season, and the draw with Palace was a missed opportunity to build on their midweek win over Nottingham Forest.
The Portuguese midfielder was also critical of his own performance, which saw him give possession away 19 times and lose all four ground duels he was involved in. “I’m not happy with my own performance,” he admitted. “I made mistakes, and I have to do better.“
Silva’s frustration is understandable, given City’s recent form. The champions have lost four of their last six Premier League matches, conceding 10 goals in the process. The draw with Palace was a setback, and Silva knows that City must improve if they are to get back on track.
“We have to do better,” he said. “We have to react better to the second balls. We have to give them less opportunities on set pieces. We created a few chances, and that wasn’t our problem because we scored two. We’re in December. We’d like to be in a different position.“
Silva’s comments are a wake-up call for City, who must respond to their recent setbacks. The champions have the talent and the resources to turn their season around, but they must start performing consistently. As Silva said, “If we recover our players quickly, we can always do it. But right now, our concern is a different one.“
The pressure is on City to deliver, and Silva’s comments are a reminder that the champions must raise their game if they are to achieve their goals this season.