Silva: Those who criticize City don't understand football!

Manchester City star Bernardo Silva has defended his team amid criticism of their relative decline in performance this season, asserting that belittling City's achievements reflects a lack of true understanding of football. Manchester City currently sits fifth in the Premier League table with 48 points and was eliminated from the League Cup in the fourth round by Tottenham Hotspur, raising questions about the team's performance compared to previous seasons. In statements to the English newspaper "The Mirror," Silva said: "Anyone who belittles Manchester City doesn't understand football very well," stressing that the team has the experience and ability to return to competition strongly. In response to criticism regarding City's aging players, Silva sarcastically asked: "Tell me, which player? Give me names! There are people who don't understand football and haven't played it. I'm 30, Kovacic is 30, does that mean we're old?" He added: "We've had a tough six months, and suddenly we're an old team! We've won the Premier League six times in the last eight years, so can we be judged so quickly? We'll prove the doubters wrong, and we have time for that." Regarding Manchester City's progress to the FA Cup semi-finals for the seventh consecutive season, he said: "It's great to be at Wembley again, and we know that facing Nottingham Forest won't be easy, but we're ready." Manchester City is preparing to face Leicester City on Wednesday evening, in the 30th round of the English Premier League.