Bernardo Silva promises City fightback after Manchester derby defeat

Bernardo Silva has insisted Manchester City will continue to fight in the Premier League title race despite suffering a damaging 2–0 defeat to Manchester United that has opened up a seven-point gap to leaders Arsenal.

City were second best for long spells at Old Trafford and left the derby with little room for complaint, as their rivals delivered a sharper, more energetic display to claim a deserved victory.

The first half ended goalless, with efforts from Amad Diallo and Bruno Fernandes ruled out for offside. That reprieve failed to spark City into life after the interval.

Despite tactical changes from Pep Guardiola, the pressure eventually told. Bryan Mbeumo opened the scoring following a quick transition from a City free-kick, exploiting space left behind the defence.

Eleven minutes later, the game was effectively settled. A lapse in concentration at the back post allowed Patrick Dorgu to steal in and double United’s advantage, punishing City’s lack of sharpness.

City briefly feared further damage when Mason Mount found the net in stoppage time, but VAR intervened after Matheus Cunha was flagged offside in the build-up.

Speaking after the match, City captain Bernardo Silva did not shy away from the scale of the setback — or the quality of United’s performance.

“It is a big gap, we won’t lie and say it isn’t a big gap — it is,” Silva said. “But we will fight until the end.”

On the nature of the defeat, the midfielder was blunt.

“They deserved to win today. They had more energy and intention. It always felt like they were close to scoring and we were never there. We gave them what they want. They took the game to where they are good and we are not so good.”

Silva also acknowledged that City strayed far from the standards that have defined their dominance in recent seasons.

“Since I arrived in England we have always been a very controlled team. There were a lot of things missing from us. Definitely a bad day for us. After a day like today, I don’t think we have any excuses.”

The defeat is a significant blow to City’s title ambitions, particularly with Arsenal continuing to set the pace at the top of the table. A goalless draw for the Gunners at Nottingham Forest later on Saturday did offer a small reprieve, but the gap remains seven points.

City do, however, still have Arsenal to come at the Etihad Stadium before the season’s end — a fixture that could yet reignite the race if Guardiola’s side respond as they have so often done in the past.

Attention now turns to Europe, with City travelling to Bodø/Glimt in the Champions League on Tuesday evening, where a strong performance will be seen as essential to restoring confidence.

City must regroup swiftly as focus shifts to European action against Bodø/Glimt before returning to domestic matters. With the margin for error now slim, Guardiola’s side need immediate improvement to keep their title hopes alive and avoid further ground being surrendered.

Can Manchester City realistically reel Arsenal back in, or has the title race already slipped beyond their control?