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Martinelli snatches late draw for Arsenal against Man City
Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva has voiced concerns regarding the Premier League’s scheduling, citing a disadvantage for his side in their recent match against Arsenal.
Gabriel Martinelli’s late goal secured a 1-1 draw for Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
City had a mere 66 hours to prepare for the 16:30 BST kickoff, following their 2-0 victory over Napoli in the Champions League on Thursday at 20:00.
In contrast, Arsenal enjoyed a more extended recovery period, having defeated Athletic Club 2-0 in Bilbao on Tuesday.
“It is not fair to play one of these games like this. It is just not right,” Silva stated.
“The reality is we cannot come in to one of the most important games in the season with such a disadvantage, in terms of rest.
“I wasn’t feeling in a perfect condition to play like this, 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.”
Manager Pep Guardiola echoed these sentiments, noting that City appeared “incredibly tired” against Arsenal.
Guardiola previously highlighted the disadvantages faced by English teams in European competitions due to the Premier League’s scheduling practices, which often place “the toughest schedules for the European teams in the important stages.”
Silva, who participated in 62 matches for City and Portugal last season, clarified, “I don’t think that they are trying to make us lose a game.”
“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 a Liverpool v Arsenal, you need to have a bit of common sense, and understanding of these situations.”
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Has the schedule put Man City at a disadvantage against Arsenal?
While Arsenal benefited from a longer turnaround, several other English Champions League teams faced similar scheduling challenges to Manchester City.
Newcastle United, like Manchester City, also competed in the Champions League on Thursday night, hosting Barcelona.
They then traveled to Bournemouth for a Premier League fixture on Sunday, with an earlier kickoff time of 14:00.
Liverpool experienced an even tighter schedule.
They hosted Atletico Madrid on Wednesday and then faced Everton in the Merseyside derby at 12:30 on Saturday – a mere 62.5 hours later.
Chelsea traveled to Bayern Munich on Wednesday and then visited Manchester United on Saturday.
Tottenham enjoyed a slightly longer break, hosting Villarreal on Tuesday and then Brighton on Saturday.
The Champions League teams are now preparing for the Carabao Cup third round this week.
Five of the six teams will play their ties three days after their league games, with Tottenham receiving an extra day of rest.
Furthermore, Chelsea had less preparation time between seasons compared to Manchester City, owing to their participation in and victory at the Club World Cup, while City were eliminated two weeks prior in the Champions League last 16.
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