Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva has launched a scathing attack on Premier League fixture scheduling following his side's 1-1 draw at Arsenal on Sunday.
The Portuguese midfielder branded the arrangements "not fair" and "just not right" after City were given just 66 hours to recover from Thursday's Champions League victory over Napoli.
Silva argued that the tight turnaround put his team at a serious physical disadvantage for what he called "one of the most important games in the season."
Arsenal, by contrast, enjoyed four full days of preparation after playing their European fixture on Tuesday evening against Athletic Bilbao.
Arsenal drew level with just seconds left in the game after a brilliant finish from Gabriel Martinelli
|REUTERS
Silva didn't mince his words when explaining the impact of the scheduling.
"I wasn't feeling in a perfect condition to play and people who have not played at the highest level don't know how it feels to play a game like this. You need to be at your best condition," he said.
Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva launched a scathing attack on Premier League fixture scheduling following his side's 1-1 draw at Arsenal on Sunday
|REUTERS
The City captain insisted he wouldn't have spoken out if his team had lost, conscious it might sound like sour grapes.
"I am saying this because we didn't lose if we lost, I wouldn't say this," Silva explained. "But the reality is we cannot come to one of the most important games in the season with such a disadvantage in terms of rest."
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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola agreed with skipper Bernardo Silva
|REUTERS
Silva made it clear that he wasn't asking for Arsenal to have less rest - just for City to have more.
"It doesn't matter if Arsenal had four, five or six days, just give us one more day and then you make it an even game," he argued.
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The midfielder called for "common sense" when scheduling matches of this magnitude, pointing out that the issue could affect any top club.
"It could happen to Arsenal or Liverpool in a few months. But when you are playing an Arsenal v City or a City v Liverpool or Liverpool v Arsenal, you need to have a bit of common sense," Silva said.
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Manchester City played Napoli in the Champions League on Thursday. Arsenal faced Athletic Bilbao in the early kick off on Tuesday
|GETTY
Silva revealed that team captains have tried to address these scheduling issues with authorities, but their concerns have fallen on deaf ears.
"We have tried, they don't listen to us. It is what it is. We would like to change something. But it never changes," he said.
The midfielder acknowledged that broadcasters and governing bodies want to maximise revenue, but insisted this shouldn't come at the expense of player welfare and match quality.
City manager Pep Guardiola backed his captain's assessment, describing his players as "incredibly tired" after the quick turnaround.
Gabriel Martinelli's 93rd-minute equaliser denied City victory at the Emirates, though Silva maintained the result didn't change his view on the scheduling problem.
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