'You don't deserve to be here!' - Bernardo Silva claims Man City stars will be 'killed' if they fail to win more trophies in dark warning to team-mates

City did lift the Community Shield ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, but that was as good as it got on the trophy-hunting front. Liverpool ran away with the Premier League title, while Paris Saint-Germain were crowned champions of Europe. Guardiola’s side also came unstuck at the FIFA Club World Cup.

Arsenal’s bright start to the current campaign had many suggesting that City would miss out on a domestic title once again - having won four-in-a-row between 2020 and 2024 - but the odd wobble from the Gunners and a run of three successive top-flight victories for the Blues has lifted them to within two points of rivals from north London.

Positive progress has also been made in the Champions League, while Brentford will soon be faced in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals and another FA Cup quest will get underway in January when lining up against League One outfit Exeter.

Silva, who has been with City since 2017 and has claimed 17 pieces of silverware with the club - including a Treble triumph in 2022-23 - is aware of the need to keep on winning. The Portugal international says exits are inevitable in upcoming transfer windows if the Blues end the current campaign empty-handed.

Silva told BBC Sport when asked if City can restock their trophy cabinet this season: "That’s the aim. It would mean a lot because at this club it’s not acceptable to not win. If you don’t win, the club will make decisions again and it’s normal, it’s part of the business.

"Either you kill or you get killed, and that’s the way it is. That’s good, that’s good. If you want to play for Man City, you need to win. If you don’t win, you don’t deserve to be here. So that pressure, that’s on us, it’s a good one and we take it."

Quizzed on whether City are better prepared to compete for major honours than they were 12 months ago, Silva added: "I think we’re much, much better, you cannot compare. Like, if you said to me last season with no injuries, last season was a very, very good squad, but with all the injuries we had and all the problems that we had, I would say that right now we’re much more prepared to fight for titles, yeah."

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

Silva is determined to enhance his own CV as he will be out of contract next summer. He is far from being finished, at 31 years of age, but is already giving some thought to what path he will tread when reaching retirement.

Pressed by DAZN on whether he will remain in professional football, the 107-cap Portugal international said: "I don’t know if, when I finish my career, I will miss football or not. I think I will. Football brings a load of travel and energy that is difficult. With 20 years, or more with the youth years I gave to football, I will want to spend time with my family. I will want to travel with my wife. I will want to give time to my children.

"I don’t know if I will want to give that time back to football after I finish my career. But without a doubt, if I return it will be as a coach, and I think I will have the ability to do it."

Silva does have vast experience to pass on, having worked under the likes of Guardiola and alongside five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo. After chasing down domestic and continental honours with City, his attention will turn next summer - when hitting free agency - to a World Cup title bid with Portugal.