'You learn who you can go to war with' - Bernardo Silva aims pointed barb at Man City team-mates after FA Cup failure as midfielder hints at rifts in Pep Guardiola's squad

Manchester City's miserable journey in the 2024-25 campaign continued as they went down 1-0 against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final on Saturday. The loss at Wembley now means that City will end the season without a trophy for just the second time in Pep Guardiola's glittering nine-year stay at Etihad Stadium.

Following the FA Cup heartbreak, Silva did not hold back as he took aim at some of his City colleagues for not showing up in the difficult times. Speaking to reporters, the Portuguese said: "In the bad moments you learn new things. Who you can go to war with, first of all, because it's in the bad moments that you see who the real ones are. It's been a really, really bad season for us. Something has to change next year. I have my opinion, but I'm not going to give it to you. It's for the big bosses to decide. But definitely, something needs to change when you don't perform at this level.

"Our standard needs to be very, very high to be champions again - and that's the level we want to reach again. I'd say it’s a bit of everything, but the season was not good for many reasons. But there are a lot of things that were good for us, like not taking things for granted and not lowering our standards. We’ve got people used to winning every year and people demand this team wins every year. But football is a tough sport and it's not easy to beat these teams, especially in the Premier League."

Sky Sports reported last month that the Cityzens have reportedly told Silva he is no longer part of their plans. The 30-year-old is said to be keen on heading back to his homeland. A return to his roots at Benfica could be on the cards if City agree to a transfer fee much lower than the €58 million (£50m/$66m) release clause that exists in the Portugal international’s contract.

Guardiola's side will be back in action in the Premier League on Tuesday as they take on Bournemouth at home in a crucial fixture.