Bernardo Silva says Manchester City must "look at ourselves individually and collectively" ahead of facing Brighton on Saturday.

The reigning Premier League champions head to the Amex Stadium having suffered three successive defeats across all competitions for the first time since 2021.

After their 32-game unbeaten league streak was ended by last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Bournemouth, City's latest setback saw them well beaten 4-1 by Sporting CP in the Champions League on Tuesday.

And Silva has urged his team-mates to stop the rot heading into the international break.

"We just need to look at ourselves individually and collectively and see what we can do better, because we need to turn things around," the City midfielder said.

"We have one more game before the international break, which will definitely be good for us. At the moment, with the injuries that we have and the psychological part as well, it will be good to have that rest.

"But before that, we have a big game again; a very tough game, Brighton away is never easy. Three points would help massively to keep us in the race or in a good position to then come back and still be close to the top.

"We'll look at ourselves and try to do better on Saturday."

Brighton are also seeking a response after they were beaten 2-1 last weekend by Liverpool, who are two points clear of City at the Premier League summit.

Florian Hurzeler's side led at Anfield through Ferdi Kadioglu's first-half strike, but the Reds struck twice in the space of two minutes to condemn the Seagulls to only their second league loss of the season.

"It's a disappointing result because I think my team deserved more," the Brighton boss. "We didn't carry on playing in the second half like we did in the first half.

"We expected Liverpool to press with more intensity and, of course, there were two goals from outside the box.

"It was a tough experience, but if we stick together and learn to find the solutions when the opponent is pressing with more intensity, then I am sure the results will come."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Brighton and Hove Albion – Danny Welbeck

Welbeck is certainly Brighton's man in form, having either scored (three) or assisted (one) a goal in each of his last four Premier League games.

The forward is now looking to register a goal involvement in five successive league games for the first time.

Manchester City – Phil Foden

Still seeking his first Premier League goal of the season, Foden will welcome the opportunity to face Brighton.

The England forward has netted more Premier League goals against the Seagulls than he has any other opponent, with eight in just seven starts.

Foden will also be encouraged by the fact Brighton have never registered a clean sheet against City in the Premier League (14 meetings).

MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER CITY WIN

City have only ever lost successive Premier League games on three occasions under Pep Guardiola - in December 2016, December 2018 and October 2023.

Nevertheless, their historic record against Brighton will certainly offer them a reason to be optimistic heading into this encounter.

City have 37 points from 42 available against the Seagulls in the Premier League (won 12, drawn one), while scoring 40 goals during that span.

Meanwhile, Brighton's defeat at Anfield means they have now dropped 10 points from winning positions this season, just four fewer than they did in the entire 2023-24 campaign.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Brighton and Hove Albion – 25.3%

Draw – 23.3%

Manchester City – 51.5%

Bernardo Silva acknowledged Manchester City are "in a dark place right now" following their disappointing 4-1 defeat at Sporting CP.

Viktor Gyokeres' hat-trick inspired the Primeira Liga leaders to a commanding victory at Estadio Jose Alvalade, where Ruben Amorim was overseeing his final home game before taking over the reins at Manchester United on November 11.

Injury-hit City, who were without the likes of Rodri, Jack Grealish, Ruben Dias and John Stones, have now suffered three successive defeats in a season for the first time since April 2018.

Having been knocked out of the EFL Cup by Tottenham, the Citizens also saw their 32-match unbeaten run in the Premier League ended by a 2-1 loss at Bournemouth on Saturday.

And Silva knows he and his team-mates must address the slump quickly.

"At the beginning of the second half, we just gave them too many opportunities to be there and to score goals," the City winger said.

"[It's] disappointing because we're a bit in a dark place right now, and everything looks to be going the wrong way - even when we play well.

"Definitely, we need to look inside, check what we're not doing well and start being better very quickly. Otherwise, it will be difficult to come back from these losses.

"It's football, it's difficult to find reasons for what's happening right now to us.

"Obviously, we need to do better. Our injured players need to come back because we need them. It's just not good enough at the minute."

Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola insists he is "not giving up" with the Spaniard relishing the opportunity to put things right.

"It is a tough challenge, but I am here," the head coach added. "It will be a tough season - we knew that from the start. But this is what it is. I like it, I love it, I want to face it and lift my players.

"I have to try and find an explanation. Sometimes, it is just football. We have to accept it. Life is that, sport is that. Sometimes, we have bad moments, but we face the reality.

"Everyone has to try to be better. We are still alive in all competitions, and we continue. I am not giving up."

Erik ten Hag wants his Manchester United squad to use their Community Shield loss to Manchester City as motivation against Fulham in Friday's Premier League opener. 

Ten Hag's team almost started the season with another trophy, but fell to defeat in a penalty shootout at Wembley after Alejandro Garnacho's strike had given them the lead.

Bernardo Silva levelled late on for Pep Guardiola's City side, with Manuel Akanji scoring the decisive spot-kick after Jonny Evans' miss from 12 yards. 

“We are disappointed," Ten Hag said. "We have to feel the pain and everyone feels the pain. That's a good signal, but I also see some positives.

“We performed well, we could've won that game, we were twice leading in the game and in the penalties, but we lost, and we're disappointed. But we take the positives.”

The Red Devils have since bolstered their defensive ranks, with Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui joining from Bayern Munich, but they will be without the injured Luke Shaw. 

It was confirmed on Tuesday that the full-back will miss the start of the season after sustaining a calf injury in pre-season training. 

For Fulham, they will be hopeful of maintaining their impressive opening day form, having lost their first Premier League match in just two of their last nine seasons (four wins, three draws). 

Marco Silva's tenure has featured a promotion and two comfortable campaigns in the top flight, and they have regenerated their squad in the transfer window after losing star midfielder Joao Palhinha to Bayern Munich.

Emile Smith Rowe and Ryan Sessegnon's arrivals have improved their forward line, and they will be confident of starting the season strongly at Old Trafford. 

The Cottagers prevailed on their last visit to M16, winning 2-1 back in February, but captain Tom Cairney acknowledged a stern challenge awaits them.

“For the quality of their squad, you could argue they’ve been a little bit hit and miss,” Cairney said. “It was amazing for them to win the trophy at the end of last season.

“If they’re on, if they’re firing on all cylinders, it’s a tough night for us.

"They’ve got quality throughout the squad, Champions League winners, but Marco will definitely gear us up to go there and try and win."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Manchester United - Bruno Fernandes

In the absence of Rasmus Hojlund, United will look towards the attacking talents of captain Bruno Fernandes to provide that creative spark in the final third. 

Fernandes finished as the Red Devils' joint-top scorer in the Premier League last season with 10 goals in 35 appearances, while also creating more chances in the division than any other player (114). 

The United captain has scored four times against Fulham in his seven games against them in all competitions, only scoring more against Everton (five), Leeds (six) and Aston Villa (seven) of the English sides he has faced. 

Fulham - Emile Smith Rowe

All eyes will be on Fulham new boy Smith Rowe following his £34million switch from Arsenal, with the possibility of joining a select few players should he find the target. 

Smith Rowe scored on his only Premier League start against United at Old Trafford in a 3-2 defeat during his time with Arsenal in December 2021. 

Only Darren Bent (Fulham and Tottenham), Emmanuel Adebayor (Arsenal and Tottenham) and Frank Lampard (Chelsea and West Ham) have scored away against the Red Devils with two different London clubs in the Premier League. 

MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED WIN

United have lost just four of their 34 Premier League meetings with Fulham (24 wins, six draws), but one of those came in their most recent encounter back in February.

Ten Hag's side have struggled versus sides from the capital, losing their last three home games against teams from London. Should Fulham emerge victorious, it will be the first time since a run of five between December 1985 and September 1986 that United have lost four consecutive games against London clubs. 

But the Red Devils start their campaign in front of their home supporters for the eighth season in a row, becoming the first in Premier League history to start a season with a home game in eight seasons consecutively.

Fulham, however, will be out to cause an upset. They won two of their final three Premier League away games last season (one draw), as many as they managed in their first 16 on the road in 2023-24 (five draws, nine defeats).

Following their victory in Manchester in February, Fulham are looking to win on consecutive league visits to United for the first time. They’ve faced them at Old Trafford in their opening league match three times previously, losing all three (0-1 in 1950-51, 2-3 in 2001-02 and 1-5 in 2006-07).

And there is no better man to lead them out than Silva, who is unbeaten in his last nine opening day matches (three wins, six draws), with his last such defeat coming in the Primeira Liga with Estoril in 2012-13 (1-2 v Olhanense).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Manchester United - 58.5%

Draw - 20.9%

Fulham - 20.6%

Pep Guardiola was delighted to see Manchester City begin their season with silverware as they beat Manchester United in the Community Shield, though he warned their triumph means nothing for their hopes of another Premier League title. 

Bernardo Silva's header cancelled out Alejandro Garnacho's goal as the Manchester rivals played out a 1-1 draw at Wembley, with City edging the penalty shoot-out 7-6. 

Manuel Akanji scored the decisive kick after Silva, Jadon Sancho and Jonny Evans failed to convert, handing City their first Community Shield triumph since 2019.

City's victory came despite the absences of several players that made it to the latter stages of Euro 2024, including Rodri, Phil Foden, John Stones and Kyle Walker.

While Guardiola was delighted to see his side avoid a fourth straight defeat in the annual curtain-raiser to the English season, he warned few conclusions can be drawn as they prepare to hunt a fifth consecutive Premier League title.

"I enjoyed playing against our rival in Manchester United and to start the season with a title is good. We are really pleased," Guardiola told ITV Sport.

"We lost a lot of balls, after transitions they are one of the best teams in the world. They are so dangerous to control, but in the end we did it.

"It is nice to play this game because it means you won something in the previous season.

"Now we'll see how the players come back. The target now is not to win the Premier League, it is, 'okay, next game we'll try and win it'. This is what we have to do."

The team that won the Community Shield has only gone on to finish as Premier League champions in one of the last 13 seasons, when City did so in 2018-19.

Goalkeeper Ederson was entrusted with taking City's fifth kick in the shoot-out, when a failure to score would have handed United victory.

Asked about the decision to put Ederson forward, Guardiola said: "He is our best penalty taker, along with Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne. All three are our best."

Guardiola was particularly pleased to see Akanji convert the winning kick after missing from 12 yards in Switzerland's Euro 2024 quarter-final loss to England, saying: "He missed it in the Euros and I love that he had the personality to take it."

Cristiano Ronaldo's tears upon missing a penalty in Portugal's Euro 2024 last-16 tie versus Slovenia are not worthy of discussion, says his team-mate Bernardo Silva.

Ronaldo saw an extra-time spot-kick saved by Jan Oblak as Portugal played out a goalless draw in Monday's tie, only to scrape through to the quarter-finals on penalties.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner scored in the shoot-out but is yet to net in regular play at this tournament, despite amassing a competition-high 20 shots worth 2.75 expected goals (xG).

He has failed to score in his last eight appearances at the World Cup or European Championships, having netted 10 times in his previous nine between 2018 and 2022.

When asked about Ronaldo's tears at Thursday's pre-match press conference, Silva said: "We're humans and he felt emotional when he missed a penalty. 

"It's acceptable, isn't it? Sometimes you react in ways you don't expect... he felt he could have done better in that moment.

"He cries for a bit, which is how humans deal with emotions sometimes.

"So I don't see any reason for people to discuss it. Obviously people will, because that's the business."

Though Portugal impressed as they beat Turkiye 3-0 in their second group-stage match, they have disappointed in their other games and been criticised at home over a lack of attacking thrust.

Asked about that criticism, Silva said: "We understand it, it's part of the business, it's the reason why we earn so much money and we are able to give our families and friends a better life.

"We don't complain about the criticism, it's for good and for bad, it's our job. 

"When it comes to June and a World Cup or Euros, everyone thinks they're a manager. We get that and we accept that."

Cristiano Ronaldo became the European Championships' record assist-maker as Portugal won Group F with a 3-0 victory over Turkiye at Euro 2024 on Saturday.

Having won late against Czechia in their opening game of the tournament, Roberto Martinez's side knew an improved display was needed on matchday two in Dortmund.

The Selecao dominated from start to finish, with defensive errors aiding their triumph as Bernardo Silva and Bruno Fernandes netted either side of a calamitous Samet Akaydin own goal.

Portugal now have the luxury of being able to rest key players when they face Georgia in Gelsenkirchen next Wednesday. 

Meanwhile, Turkiye know they must avoid defeat against Czechia to be certain of their progression to the knockout stages.

With Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz, who starred in Turkiye's opener against Georgia, both on the bench, Portugal were able to dominate from the off and went ahead after 21 minutes.

A slick move down the left-hand side saw Nuno Mendes' delivery deflect kindly into the path of Silva, who swept the ball home from inside the area for his first goal at a major tournament.

But for all their intricate passing play, Portugal would double their lead in comical fashion. Joao Cancelo's attempted pass to Ronaldo was cut out by Akaydin, but the defender sent a blind back pass beyond Altay Bayindir to score the sixth own goal of Euro 2024. 

The Selecao further extended their advantage 10 minutes into the second half, profiting from more poor defending from Vincenzo Montella's side. 

A simple ball over the top picked out Ronaldo as he was played onside by Zeki Celik, and with the goal at his mercy, he unselfishly squared for Fernandes to tap home. 

Portugal tried to add to their tally as Silva saw his effort blocked late on, but they did not need a fourth as they clinched progression to the last 16.

Bernardo breaks major tournament duck

With 11 goals and 10 assists for Manchester City this past season, it is incredible to think Silva had yet to register a goal involvement at an international tournament until Euro 2024. 

The 29-year-old finished well when presented with the first clear chance of the contest, and his overall play was excellent as Portugal cruised.

Silva created more chances (three) than anyone else on the pitch, while also recording a 92.2% pass accuracy from 51 attempted passes. 

Defensive howlers cost Turkiye

Having impressed in the forward areas against Georgia in their opening Group F fixture, all eyes will now be fixed on Turkiye's defence following an error-strewn display.

Perhaps a breakdown in communication contributed to the own goal after Bayindir was brought in between the sticks, and now Montella has a decision to make as to who he starts against Czechia next week. 

Turkiye have now lost all four of their encounters with Portugal at the Euros without scoring a single goal: 1-0 in 1996 (group stages), 2-0 in 2000 (quarter-finals) and 2-0 in 2008 (group stages).

Bernardo Silva admits he prefers team awards over individual honours and would choose the Champions League over a Ballon d’Or if given the chance.

Silva was a key figure as Manchester City retained their Premier League title for an unprecedented fourth consecutive season, making 33 appearances in the competition.

The midfielder chipped in with six goals during their title charge, adding nine assists, while also scoring the winning goal in the FA Cup semi-final – a competition they ultimately lost to Manchester United.

Since joining City in July 2017, Silva has won 13 major honours, including six Premier League trophies, two FA Cups, a Champions League, and the Club World Cup.

The Portugal international was ranked the eighth-best men’s player of 2023, but when asked about the subject, he admitted that he does not rate individual awards as highly as those won by a team.

"Recognition is always nice," he told Sky Sports.

"In my opinion, I give the right amount of importance to these awards, because, at the end of the day, we are playing a collective sport. Nowadays, the individual awards always go to the strikers because they have that last touch.

"But if you understand the game, a person who is inside the game, either a player or a manager, you know how important it is to have a proper goalkeeper, a proper defender, a proper midfielder and a proper striker. Not just a proper striker.

"Strikers do not win you titles alone. The base comes from defence. If you defend well, you will attack better. When I look at individual awards and I see that only the guys who score goals win the awards, I feel a bit like it does not represent our sport that well.

"I always do my best to support my team-mates and do what is best for the team. In the end, winning the Champions League is much better than winning a Ballon d'Or. I would not swap it. No chance."

Silva’s attention now turns to Euro 2024 as Portugal aim to challenge for their second title in the competition.

The 29-year-old missed their success in 2016 due to injury, and he concedes there was a "mix of emotions" at seeing Portugal win their first major tournament while not being able to have an impact.

He said: "I was so frustrated before the competition for not going because I wanted to be a part of it. I did all the qualifying. It would have been my first big tournament, and I would have been there, but I got injured.

"But then, in the end, when they won it, I am Portuguese. Everyone was so happy; all my family, all my friends, everyone. So, it was a mix of frustration for not being there but also being very happy because it was our first big title as a country."

However, Silva is up for the challenge of competing in the 2024 edition.

"You are representing your whole country, your family and friends. We are all human. You are going to feel [the pressure] more. Playing for Portugal is always a bit different and special," he added.

"If you love the game, you want to do it well. And if you want to do something well, you feel that responsibility. That is why you feel pressure. In a way, that pressure is a good thing. It is your mind and your body telling you that you want this.

"It is up to you to try to control these emotions."

Portugal begin their Euro 2024 campaign in Group F against the Czech Republic on June 18.

Pep Guardiola joked Manchester City have signed "the best winger on the planet" after defender Josko Gvardiol scored twice in Saturday's 4-0 thrashing of Fulham.

Centre-back Gvardiol once again operated at full-back on the left of City's four-man defence, finding the net in either half at Craven Cottage as Guardiola's side moved back to the Premier League summit.

His first came from a dancing run inside from Kevin De Bruyne's dinked pass before curling a well-taken right-footed finish into the bottom-left corner.

That passage of play may have been expected from City's attacking riches of Phil Foden, Erling Haaland or Bernardo Silva, though Gvardiol is becoming accustomed to starring at the other end of the pitch.

The Croatia international has netted five goals in his last seven games for City after not scoring in his first 32 matches across all competitions – but Guardiola is not surprised.

"The first goal, we signed the best winger on the planet," Guardiola jested with BBC Radio Manchester. "He's an incredible guy, can play in different positions.

"After Wolves I gave [the players] three days off, he was the only one who went to the training centre for his recovery.

"He lives for his profession. We have made an incredible signing for many, many years to come."

Foden also scored his 25th goal of the season for City, becoming just the second English player to score 25+ in a season for the club in the Premier League era (across all competitions), after Raheem Sterling in 2018-19 (25) and 2019-20 (31).

Julian Alvarez then wrapped up proceedings with a last-gasp penalty, taking the spot-kick from Gvardiol, who passed up the chance to score a hat-trick out of respect for his team-mate.

That domination ensured City will end the day in first place for just the eighth time in 2024 – overall, this will be the 72nd day they have ended in top spot this season, behind Liverpool (87) and Arsenal (74).

Guardiola's side are two points clear of Arsenal, who play Manchester United on Sunday, and still have a game in hand to come when visiting Tottenham on Tuesday.

The City manager told his post-match press conference: "Our dream is as we said a few weeks ago when [Arsenal] lost against Aston Villa was to arrive in the last games with it in our hands.

"We wanted to play West Ham at home with the destiny belonging to us."

Destiny remains in City's hands as they search for a sixth Premier League title in the last seven seasons.

Erling Haaland's four-goal haul ensured Manchester City continued their Premier League title charge with a 5-1 triumph over Wolves, as Pep Guardiola's team responded to Arsenal's victory earlier on Saturday in style.

Arsenal moved four points clear at the league summit with their 3-0 win over Bournemouth but Haaland eased any City nerves with his dominant first-half hat-trick at Etihad Stadium.

That quickfire treble included two penalties before Haaland added to his tally after the interval – following Hwang Hee-chan's consolation strike – to move to a competition-leading 25 goals this term.

Haaland’s replacement Julian Alvarez added further gloss late on, as City, who have a game in hand on Arsenal, cut the gap to the Gunners to just one point. Wolves remain 11th with just one win in their past eight league games.

City needed just 12 minutes to take the lead. Rayan Ait-Nouri conceded a penalty for an inadvertent collision with Josko Gvardiol, and Haaland made no mistake from the spot after a VAR review confirmed the on-field decision, sending Jose Sa the wrong way and sweeping into the bottom-left corner.

Sa was equal to Haaland shortly after, though, tipping away the striker's header following Bernardo Silva's right-wing centre – but the Wolves goalkeeper was powerless to prevent the Norwegian doubling his tally after 35 minutes, as Haaland climbed high to redirect Rodri’s back-post centre into the bottom-right corner.

And Haaland had his hat-trick when, on the stroke of half-time, he repeated the trick from 12 yards after he had drawn a clumsy challenge from Nelson Semedo, with the VAR having recommended an onfield review of the incident.

Wolves reduced the deficit eight minutes into the second half as Hwang fired into an empty net from Ederson's unconvincing punch, though City restored their three-goal advantage just a minute later.

Haaland latched onto Phil Foden's over-the-top pass before cutting inside and blasting an arrowed left-footed strike into the top-left corner for the finest of his four strikes.

There was time for City to increase their goal difference, too, as substitute Alvarez wrapped up the scoring after Rodri regained possession high before finding the Argentine, who angled a low effort across Sa.

Golden Boot within Haaland’s grasp

For every Arsenal victory, Guardiola's side continue to respond with three points of their own and still boast a game in hand away against Tottenham to move clear of the Gunners.

City are now unbeaten in their last 20 Premier League games (W15 D4), becoming the second side to manage a streak of 20+ undefeated league matches on five separate occasions – after fierce rivals Manchester United (seven).

That is in large part thanks to Haaland, whose four goals came in just 54 minutes here. Only Gabriel Jesus has scored as many times earlier in a Premier League game, finding the net four times in 53 minutes against Watford in April 2022.

He is now five clear of his rivals in the hunt for the Premier League Golden Boot, and surely he has all but wrapped up that award now.

Frustration grows at Wolves

Gary O'Neil has regularly voiced his concerns over the depth of Wolves' squad, with his side suffering from numerous injury issues across a troubled season.

Matheus Cunha and Ait-Nouri – the latter who conceded the first penalty for an accidental collision with Gvardiol – returned to the starting XI from injury, but that did little to mask Wolves' problems.

Injuries have played their part in hampering O'Neil's tenure, though this clash was a stark reminder of their shortcomings – Wolves have now lost eight of their last nine Premier League visits to Man City.

Bernardo Silva admitted he had been through a range of emotions after bouncing back from his European penalty heartache with an FA Cup semi-final winner.

The Portugal midfielder scored Manchester City’s late clincher as the holders ground out a hard-fought 1-0 win over Chelsea at Wembley on Saturday to book a return to the final.

It came less than three days after he had badly fluffed his lines with a poor spot-kick as City were agonisingly knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid in a draining encounter on Wednesday.

Silva released a lot of emotion in a vigorous celebration after his 84th-minute strike and he revealed that was culmination of a lot of factors.

He said: “After a very frustrating week for all of us it’s good to get back on the winning side and qualify for another final and another chance to win a trophy. We’re happy.

“Wednesday was a frustrating night for me. It was tough. First night, I didn’t sleep much. Second night, you sleep a bit better, the third night you sleep almost the whole night.

“It is what it is. It’s football, it’s our profession and we have to deal with those emotions.

“The way this team reacts is always really good. Once again we showed character and that no matter what happens, we stick together and go for it.”

Silva – one of two City players to miss in the shootout loss along with Mateo Kovacic – was embarrassed as he chipped tamely into the hands of Real goalkeeper Andriy Lunin from the spot.

He said that he had seen Lunin move early for the previous penalty, taken by Julian Alvarez, and felt striking down the middle would be a good idea.

Silva said: “I was waiting, I wanted to be the second or the third penalty to see the reaction from the keeper in the first or the first two penalties.

“And he moved early, that’s why I thought the middle was good because in moments of pressure the keepers, 99 per cent of the time, they move. But he chose not to move and fair play to him, well done.”

Silva denied a theory that the delay to his penalty, caused by the ball needing to be retrieved from the crowd, had affected him mentally.

He said: “For me, no. My decision was made. I was going shoot the penalty in the middle.”

City showed the resolve of champions to hang in and edge out Chelsea, who dominated the tie at Wembley.

The Londoners were left to rue wasting a host of chances, with misfiring striker Nicolas Jackson the prime culprit. They were also frustrated not to be awarded a penalty after a Cole Palmer free-kick struck the arm of Jack Grealish.

Veteran defender Thiago Silva said: “I think it’s laughable. I don’t like to talk about the referees, especially after a defeat as it looks like an excuse, but I believe VAR could have sent the ref to the monitor.

“If he goes to the monitor and decides not to give a pen, I’m fine with it, but go and see it.”

Silva, 39, is out of contract at the end of the season and promised to reveal his future plans soon.

The Brazilian said: “You are going to know in the coming days. I don’t want to say anything now after a defeat, I’m sad about the result, but sooner or later the news will come out.

“I do have a decision made in my mind, but it’s not the moment to share it.”

Pep Guardiola admitted it was “unacceptable” that Manchester City’s 1-0 FA Cup semi-final win over Chelsea was scheduled for less than 72 hours after their Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.

City recovered from their European exit on Wednesday night – when they played extra-time against Real before losing on penalties – to edge past Mauricio Pochettino’s side, thanks to a goal in the 84th minute from Bernardo Silva, but they were clearly fatigued at Wembley.

Chelsea had more than enough chances to settle the semi-final in their favour but, as was the case on their last visit here against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final, wasteful finishing was their downfall, with Nicolas Jackson the primary culprit.

Yet despite seeing his side reach their third FA Cup final in six seasons, Guardiola’s thoughts were dominated by what he considered to be poor scheduling of the match by the Football Association.

“I don’t understand how we survived today,” he said. “People cannot imagine what a punch in the face to be out of the Champions League in the way we are out.

“Why not give us one more day to arrive on Sunday because Coventry and (Manchester) United didn’t play in midweek? For broadcasters?

“OK. Don’t ask me after to do extra (media duties) because we won’t do it. It’s unacceptable to play today.

“What (the players) have done today is one of the greatest things I have seen from a group of players – 120 minutes against Real, you can prepare absolutely nothing.

“Four hours to arrive here and play the game in these conditions. I don’t understand how we survived.”

Three times 22-year-old Jackson had gilt-edged chances to put his team through to the final but each time he was foiled, most glaringly when he headed straight at goalkeeper Stefan Ortega from close range midway through the second half.

Unable to capitalise on their openings, Chelsea tired as the game wore into its final 10 minutes and they were hit with the winning goal for City, six minutes from time.

Jeremy Doku slipped a pass through for Kevin De Bruyne bursting forward down the left of the penalty area and – after running it to the byline – he pulled the ball back centrally.

Djordje Petrovic got a foot to it but could not prevent it from reaching Silva, whose first-time effort at the back post pinged off Marc Cucurella as he dived in to block and span beyond the goalkeeper to win it.

City will play either Manchester United or Coventry in the final on May 25 as they look to retain the trophy they won last season.

Guardiola was pessimistic about the demands made on his players by an increasingly-congested schedule being lessened in the future and criticised what he considered an inflexible approach from competition organisers.

“In this country, they don’t change anything,” he said. “If I pretend it will change next season, it won’t happen. But don’t ask me to make meetings. I’m busy. I have to prepare games every three days.

“It’s unsustainable. We have to perform for the fans, for the prestige of the club. How? I just want to protect my players.

“I don’t have to run. I do this for the players. It is unacceptable.”

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino reflected on a game that, despite their chances, he felt his side had not done enough to win.

“The most important thing is to be clinical and not concede,” he said. “Even if today we competed well, I cannot say we were the better side.”

Pep Guardiola insisted there were no regrets after Manchester City’s bid to retain their Champions League crown ended in a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out loss to Real Madrid.

The holders were beaten 4-3 on spot-kicks by the Spanish giants after their quarter-final tie ended 4-4 on aggregate – 1-1 on the night – despite a dominant display from Guardiola’s side in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium.

City fell behind early to a Rodrygo goal but created a host of chances as they sought to regain control of the tie but Kevin De Bruyne’s 76th-minute equaliser was their only reward.

City manager Guardiola said: “I would have preferred to win but congratulations to Real Madrid, they defended so deep with incredible solidarity and we did everything.

“I don’t have any regrets about what we have done. Always we try to create more chances and concede less, because we believe that helps you to win and we did everything.

“We played exceptionally in all departments and unfortunately we could not win.”

Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic both missed in the shoot-out, with the former’s effort proving a particularly comfortable save for Andriy Lunin.

Guardiola refused to blame the Portuguese for his failure to register.

He said: “Bernardo asked to take it, he’s a reliable player and decided to shoot in that way. What a game he had played. It happens.”

Guardiola also had no complaints about Real’s tactics, with the Spanish side forced to sit back and defend deep for much of the game.

“I don’t judge,” he said. “I’m not here to do this. It’s football. In this competition, that’s the way football happens.”

City’s loss also ended their hopes of winning a second successive treble and they must now pick themselves up for Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley.

Guardiola said: “Now we will rest and on Friday we travel to London to play the game.

“We will see how people will react. Of course the recovery is easier when winning, rather than losing, but it is the semi-final of the FA Cup and we will try to compete as much as possible.”

Real manager Carlo Ancelotti admitted the strength of City had forced them to soak up pressure and look to take the tie on penalties.

The veteran Italian said: “We defended really, really well. This was about survival. Madrid is a club based on always fighting to stay in situations where there seems to be no way out – but we always find a way.

“By the time the penalty shoot-out came, we were totally convinced we’d go through.

“This is about the only way you can come to City and win. You work, sacrifice and win however you can.”

Manchester City’s dreams of retaining the Champions League were shattered after a dramatic penalty shoot-out loss to Real Madrid.

Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic both missed from the spot as City were beaten 4-3 on penalties after their pulsating quarter-final tie ended 4-4 on aggregate.

Rodrygo had given Real an early lead in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium but City otherwise dominated and, after creating a host of chances, finally made it 1-1 on the night through Kevin De Bruyne in the 76th minute.

De Bruyne spurned a good chance to win the tie in normal time and Erling Haaland had earlier hit the crossbar but it was the competition’s record 14-time winners who ultimately prevailed.

It was harsh on City, who had immediately set out their stall to dominate possession.

Despite their control, however, the hosts looked vulnerable to the counter-attack and were caught out after 12 minutes.

Jude Bellingham brilliantly controlled a high ball with the outside of his foot and found Federico Valverde, who in turn fed Vinicius Junior in the box.

Vinicius pulled back for Rodrgyo and, although Ederson did well to beat out his powerful first-time shot, he could do nothing to deny his fellow Brazilian on the rebound.

City stepped up the tempo in response and created a host of chances.

Haaland sent a header against the bar and Silva missed the rebound before De Bruyne forced Andriy Lunin to save from 25 yards.

Jack Grealish twice went close with two efforts deflected wide and De Bruyne had two attempts on goal direct from corners, with Lunin palming both over.

Phil Foden also missed the target as City kept up the pressure but Josko Gvardiol needed to block a Dani Carvajal shot to prevent Real snatching a second on the break.

City started the second half strongly and Nacho needed to scramble clear off the line with Haaland lurking after a mix-up in the Real box.

Yet Foden could only manage a weak shot at Lunin and there were signs of frustration as the game passed the hour mark with Pep Guardiola trying to rouse the crowd.

City pressed on with Grealish shooting at Lunin and their persistence finally paid off as Antonio Rudiger could only half-clear a cross from substitute Jeremy Doku and De Bruyne clipped home the loose ball.

With the crowd energised, City stepped on the accelerator and De Bruyne sent a dipping shot narrowly over before skying an even better chance.

City kept the pressure on until the end of normal time but could not find a way through Real’s stubborn defence.

Haaland was sacrificed for extra time and Foden spurned a good chance when he mis-kicked in front of goal.

Real attacks remained rare but Kyle Walker, underlining an impressive return after injury, raced back to prevent Vinicius escaping and Rudiger put a chance over.

It came down to penalties and, although Ederson lifted City by saving from Luka Modric, Lunin denied both Silva and Kovacic to send Real through.

Pep Guardiola has said he will rest Rodri if the Spain midfielder asks to sit out Saturday’s Premier League match against Luton.

Following Tuesday’s 3-3 Champions League draw with Real Madrid, Rodri’s 41st appearance of the season, the 27-year-old said he was tired and that a rest was “something we are planning”.

Rodri is arguably the most difficult player for Guardiola to replace in his squad, and City lost all four of the domestic games he missed through suspension earlier this season. They have not lost any of the last 66 games in which Rodri played.

“I didn’t speak with him but if he needs a rest he will have rest,” Guardiola said on Friday. “Or no. I don’t know.

“I have the feeling that the games when he was tired like against Crystal Palace and Madrid, he was better in the second half. He runs more and was more precise in the second half than the first.

“More than the physicality, it is a case of spending mental energy. Playing every three days, three days. Of course he’s tired, playing a lot of minutes. Rodri is so important for us and we’ll decide tomorrow what we have to do.”

If City beat Real in next Wednesday’s second leg of their Champions League quarter-final, they will not have a free midweek for the rest of the campaign, and Guardiola acknowledged it is increasingly difficult to manage player fitness during such an intense schedule.

“If a player doesn’t want to play then he’s not going to play, simple,” he said. “Another one will play. If he’s exhausted, it can happen and another player is going to play.

“It’s not just Rodri. I’d love to rest central defenders but we don’t have them. In the (international) friendly games they were injured and we are in big, big trouble. So they cannot rest.”

Bernardo Silva, Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol got City’s goals in Madrid, with Erling Haaland having scored only one in his last five for City – although he has 30 goals for the season so far.

Haaland may have scored 82 goals in 90 appearances since joining City at the start of last season, but Jamie Carragher this week said he was a luxury player who is not yet at a world-class level.

Guardiola has defended the 23-year-old striker against criticism but said there was still much he could do to improve his game.

“He’s a young player,” Guardiola said. “He has some departments where he has to improve, like a 33-year-old player has margins to improve too. But it’s more about the team than him. We scored three goals (in Madrid). They had two central defenders close to him and it’s not easy.

“It’s the most difficult position on the pitch. Two against one. They were so tight and are really good defenders…

“He has to play more minutes, learn what you have to do. The target is not to win the Ballon d’Or, it’s the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, and he did it.

“Without him what we won last season, five titles, it wouldn’t be possible, no chance.”

Rodri admits he needs a break amid the intensity of Manchester City’s relentless pursuit of an unprecedented second successive treble.

The Spain international, who has not lost any of his last 66 games for club and country in a run stretching back more than a year, is vital to City’s bid to make history.

Yet Pep Guardiola’s influential midfield driving force looked laboured at times in Tuesday’s thrilling 3-3 Champions League draw at Real Madrid and concedes the schedule is taking its toll.

The 27-year-old said: “Every one of us can do better, even myself, but we need to rest to be honest.

“I do. I do need a rest. Let’s see how we speak, how we live the situation. Sometimes it is what it is.

“I need to adjust. It (rest) is something we are planning, yes.”

Guardiola could therefore make some changes for Saturday’s Premier League encounter with relegation-threatened Luton, as he looks ahead to the return clash with Real next Wednesday.

Yet with just a point separating the top three in the domestic competition, there is little margin for error for third-placed City.

Rodri felt the holders showed their mettle as they recovered from a 2-1 half-time deficit to lead on an enthralling night at the Bernabeu Stadium.

Bernardo Silva’s early strike was wiped out by a Ruben Dias own goal and Rodrygo effort, but the English side responded with stunning strikes from Phil Foden and Josko Gvardiol.

Real, however, were able to have the final say as Federico Valverde volleyed a late equaliser to ensure the second leg of the quarter-final tie will begin evenly poised.

“We showed our mentality to come back, to be honest,” said Rodri. “To go against them and come back with those goals sums up the mentality of the champions we are.

“It was a good result for us in terms of how the game was and everything is open. It’s one game in our home now and we are very strong there.”

City claimed a draw at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg of the semi-finals last year before thrashing the Spanish giants 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium to go through.

“Of course we can recreate it,” said Rodri, a former Atletico Madrid player. “We know how strong we are in our home.

“The key thing was, we knew whatever happened it wasn’t going to be over, even if we won or we lost. We have a draw that is the same result we had last season.

“It’s a good result in terms of the feeling of the team. We were finding the spaces in the second half, we did it great and now we move to Manchester. If we copy the first 20-30 minutes of the second half here, it’s going to be difficult for them.”