Bernardo Silva praised City’s character after they responded to the disappointment of their Champions League defeat by progressing to the FA Cup final with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea.
After a grueling and demanding 120 minutes, plus a penalty shootout in the middle of the week against Real Madrid, the Pep Guardiola raised his head and entered the field for another crucial clash at Wembley Stadium, in London.
Chelsea had the better scoring chances, coming close on several occasions through Nicolas Jackson, but Bernardo scored the winning goal in the 84th minute, finding the net after a cross from Kevin De Bruyne.
Bernardo Silva, who was also the scorer of our two goals in the quarter-finals, was extremely happy with the victory and made special mention of the team’s ability to react to setbacks.
“Yes, very happy after a very frustrating week for all of us – and for me personally,” he said shortly after the game ended. “The good thing about football, if you play for City, is that you get on the pitch every three days. Then, after two or three days you have the opportunity to get a little revenge and get everything back on track.”
“Today we tried to do that, even though we were very tired. We are happy with another final and another chance to win a cup.”
“We have done this over the years, many times. The way this team reacts to disappointments and defeats is always the best. Today, once again, the team showed a lot of personality.”
“It is the natural movement of De Bruyne, between midfielder and defender. Jeremy [Doku] found the right time to put the ball there.”
“Then you try to put players in the box to increase your chances of scoring. I was lucky the ball fell at that point. I’m happy with the goal.”
The victory keeps us in the hunt to defend our FA Cup crown, with Manchester United and Coventry City facing off tomorrow to decide the runners-up.
Asked if the team has the hunger and desire to keep the competition crown for itself, Bernardo these:
“Of course. But it will be tough,” he said. “Because between Coventry and Man United, it will be a very good match.”
“And a final is a final. We are delighted that we will be back at Wembley.”