Man City endured their worst season under Pep Guardiola. The Etihad club finished 16th in their Champions League group, forcing them into a play-off where they lost 6-3 on aggregate to Real Madrid. They finished third in the Premier League, lost to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final, and exited the FIFA Club World Cup in the round of 16.

Bernardo Silva (white shirt) on the ground during Man City's 4-3 loss to Al Hilal at Camping World Stadium, Florida, USA, 30/6/2025. Photo: *AP*

Some suggested that Man City needed a break after a disappointing season to return stronger in 2025-2026. However, Silva disagreed.

"Nobody likes to lose," the Man City captain said after the Al Hilal defeat. "We're used to not having breaks due to the packed schedule. When we enter a tournament, we always take it seriously. We had high hopes and wanted to win the Club World Cup."

When asked if the defeat was as painful as their Champions League exit, the Portuguese midfielder admitted, "Yes, a bit. Definitely."

Man City were the only team with a perfect record in the FIFA Club World Cup group stage, defeating Wydad 2-0, Al Ain 6-0, and Juventus 5-2. But Guardiola's side couldn't maintain that form against Al Hilal.

At Camping World Stadium on 30/6, Man City opened the scoring in the 9th minute, but Al Hilal took a 2-1 lead until the 52nd minute. From then on, the match became a back-and-forth affair, with goals from Erling Haaland (55th minute) and Phil Foden (104th minute) for Man City, and Kalidou Koulibaly (94th minute) for Al Hilal. In the 112th minute, Marcos Leonardo tapped into an empty net for Al Hilal, sealing Man City's exit.

Silva congratulated Al Hilal, praising them as a strong club with quality players who deserved the win. The 30-year-old midfielder pointed to Man City's lack of focus and control in counter-attacking situations as the main issue. "The problem is control when we lose the ball. We left too many spaces for them to run into. When we let the opponent run like that, we always have difficulties," he admitted.

Silva felt that Man City made progress in the FIFA Club World Cup but wants the team to continue improving before the 2025-2026 Premier League season. "We're starting to feel the team again, the atmosphere in the dressing room, the energy, and the way we play. We're not entirely satisfied because we wanted to go further, but we're starting to feel positive energy from the team to return to our usual level," he said.

Hong Duy (*Sky Sports*)