Bernardo Silva SLAPS DOWN Arsenal as he makes Liverpool 'rivalry' comparison

Manchester City star Bernardo Silva heaped the praise on Liverpool following their tumultuous draw with Arsenal in the Premier League yesterday.

Speaking following a drama-filled game that finished 2-2 between the title holders and the runners-up for the past two seasons, Silva referred to City’s games with Liverpool as ‘a different rivalry’.

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Asked to compare the past couple of season’s worth of title challenges from Arsenal compared to the previous half-decade of rivalry with Liverpool, Silva said: "The difference? I don't know. Maybe that Liverpool have already won a Premier League, Arsenal haven't. That Liverpool have won a Champions League, Arsenal haven't.

"Liverpool always faced us face to face to try to win the games, so by this perspective the games against Arsenal haven't been like the ones we had and have against Liverpool. So yes, maybe a different rivalry."

The comments followed a tirade by Silva against the style of Arsenal’s play in the stalemate at the Etihad. The Portuguese midfielder declared that: “There was only one team that came to play football”.

"[Arsenal] came to play to the limits of what was possible to do and allowed by the referee, unfortunately. But at the end we got a draw, the best we could get considering the context of the last moments of the match,” Silva said, “We're not happy as we wanted the three points, but personally I'm happy with the way we came to play and faced the game. I'm glad we always enter the pitch to try to win every match."

He continued: "It all started in the very first second. In the first action we realised what was going to happen. We had [Rodri] injured after they sent him to the ground twice in 10 minutes. We had a goal conceded after the referee called our captain and then didn't allow him to recover his position. The second goal is already their usual block to our keeper allowed by the referee.”

Liverpool ready for title challenge

It was a fraught game in Manchester, with Erling Haaland’s ninth-minute opener cancelled out by a stunning effort from left-back Ricardo Calafiori before a punishing header by Gabriel put Arsenal ahead. With a second yellow dismissing Leandro Trossard on the stroke of half-time, Arsenal sat in an incredibly defensive shape for the entirety of the second half. Manchester City only managed to level the game in the 8th minute of injury time.

Dropping their first points of the season means that the Premier League table cuts a familiar figure, with Liverpool hot on the heels of the champions in second place. With Arne Slot’s men dominant in Milan midweek and again against Bournemouth at the weekend, there is no reason to believe a title challenge is not possible. 

Liverpool travel to the Emirates to face Arsenal in just over a month’s time.