Portugal international Bernardo Silva has sparked debate by questioning Arsenal's position at the top of the Premier League table, suggesting that Manchester City's own errors are the primary reason for the Gunners' lead. With Arsenal on the verge of winning their first league title in 22 years, Silva's comments have drawn sharp reactions from fans.
As the 2025/26 season approaches its climax, Arsenal sit at the summit with 79 points, two ahead of Manchester City. The North London side could extend their lead to five points when they face Burnley on Monday, while City take on Bournemouth the following day. The title race will conclude on Sunday, May 24, with Arsenal visiting Crystal Palace and City hosting Aston Villa.
Silva Downplays Arsenal's Challenge
Bernardo Silva stated that if Manchester City had avoided key errors during what he called a transitional season, they would be leading the league. According to the New York Times, the Portuguese midfielder downplayed Arsenal's performance, insisting that Liverpool remains City's biggest title rival over the past nine years.
He said: “They’ve been growing and it’s a team that has been together for, what, five years now, so it’s only natural they would improve and start challenging for titles. Let’s see what happens. 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’m not saying we would have won easily, but I believe we would have won this league. So it’s quite frustrating.”
Fan Reactions
Legit.ng compiled reactions from aggrieved Arsenal supporters. @alison_ibra said: “If Arsenal didn't make mistakes the League would have been over with 5 matches to go. AND they would have won the League in 22/23 and 23/24 because they were the better side. And Arsenal are in transition too...we signed 8 players with new players filling key positions that the other players have to learn to play with. This Bernardo guy is genuinely the most disgusting EPL player!”
@FootballMind9 added: “Transitional season after spending 300 million in one season lol. 'If we didn't make so many mistakes' ? Big IF Bernardo. If Arsenal hadn't made mistakes, we would have won the league in December. If Arsenal had bought two players in January, they would have won the league and the Carabao Cup by now.”
Supercomputer Prediction
Earlier, Opta's supercomputer updated its prediction for the 2025/26 Premier League season after Manchester City defeated Crystal Palace 3-0 to close the gap to two points. The prediction reflects the tightness of the title race.
