Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva has voiced strong criticism over what he describes as an “unfair and disrespectful” fixture schedule following his team’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
City were given just 66 hours to recover from their midweek Champions League win over Napoli before facing one of their toughest Premier League fixtures of the season. In contrast, Arsenal had almost five full days to rest after playing Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday.
Silva pointed to the discrepancy in preparation time as a key factor in City’s performance, particularly in the second half when Arsenal gained momentum and secured a stoppage-time equaliser through Gabriel Martinelli. Despite Pep Guardiola naming an unchanged side from the Napoli match, Silva believes the schedule left City at a significant disadvantage.
“It is not fair to play one of these games like this. They had five days and we had two and a half. In one of the most important games, this cannot happen,” Silva stated. “I wasn’t feeling in a perfect condition to play like this, and people who have not played at the highest level don’t know how it feels.”
Silva also highlighted concerns about player welfare, referencing Abdukodir Khusanov’s injury as an example of the physical toll such a schedule can have.
While acknowledging the commercial pressures from UEFA, the Premier League, and broadcasters, Silva called for “common sense” to prevail in scheduling decisions.
“We understand the demands of different competitions, but players need to be in the same physical condition. Otherwise, it’s just not fair,” he added.
Silva expressed frustration that despite ongoing complaints from players across the league, little has changed in how fixtures are planned.
“They don’t listen to us. It never changes. But for the respect of the clubs, the fans, and the fairness of the competition, what happened was not good.”
As fixture congestion continues to be a growing concern in elite football, Silva’s comments add to the growing chorus of players calling for greater consideration of player welfare and sporting integrity in match scheduling.
