Bernardo Silva admits Manchester United FA Cup final regret in strong rallying call to Manchester City squad | OneFootball

Bernardo Silva has called upon his Manchester City teammates to make amends for their FA Cup final defeat to Manchester United last season as they take on Nottingham Forest in the semi-final of this year’s competition at Wembley on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola’s men take on Nuno Espirito Santo’s side in a bid to register their place in the FA Cup final, which would present the perfect opportunity for the Premier League champions to wrap up a disappointing season on a high with some form of silverware.

City fell just short in last season’s FA Cup final when they lost to rivals Manchester United – whom they beat in the subsequent Community Shield – with Jeremy Doku’s late goal not enough to turn around a two-goal deficit courtesy of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.

However, City have a chance to set the record straight when they take on Forest in the semi-final on Sunday and go all the way to secure an eighth FA Cup crown in Manchester City’s history, with Crystal Palace facing Aston Villa in the other semi-final.

“Last year, it wasn’t the greatest final that we played (against Manchester United) – I don’t like to make excuses but I think the team was very relieved after the title race to win the Premier League and we dropped our level a little bit in that final,” said Silva, as quoted by the FA.

“We want to be there again to come back and try and win this trophy again. We can make it three finals in a row. Overall, it’s more than I ever expected in terms of what we’ve achieved as a team and as a club with the six Premier Leagues in eight seasons, with the Champions League, the FA Cups and all the titles.

“I’m very proud to have this opportunity to be a part of this team and to be able to achieve what we did was unbelievable. The level is higher season after season so your level needs to go with that.

“Obviously, this season was not even close to where we want to be – that’s part of life, that’s part of football. A year like this had to come and time to regroup and go back to the basics and do what we used to do well.”

Silva has also reflected on cultural change he has experienced since leaving his homeland in Lisbon, Portugal to play for AS Monaco in France before he joined Manchester City in the summer of 2017.

“The city (Manchester) was different from my culture and from what I was used to. The change from my city, from Lisbon, or from Monaco where I was to here, apart from football, was not very easy,” the 30-year-old added. “What saved me in a way and what helped me a lot was the football, the club, the fans, my team-mates.

“The way they welcomed me, they made me feel at home in every game and every time we played and we were together. I think that was the thing that kept me strong here and in a place where I wasn’t feeling as familiar. That relationship, not only with my team-mates and the club but also with the fans was what kept me going.”