Hypocritical Bernardo Silva comments re-emerge after Martin Odegaard kick sparks Arsenal anger
Martin Odegaard was not happy with Bernardo Silva's challenge on him that left the Arsenal captain limping post-match(Image: Marius Nordnes / Nordnes Foto/Getty Images)
Martin Odegaard is a calm character. The Arsenal captain presents as one of the game’s nicest people, and yet even he failed to maintain a calm presence on the field after former Manchester City midfielder Bernardo Silva’s extremely late kick out on the 27-year-old.
As the game was coming to a close in Norway’s 2-1 home defeat to Portugal, Odegaard played a pass without pressure only to receive a nasty, hidden kick to his left leg, which clearly hurt the Arsenal skipper. In his usual magnanimous fashion, Odegaard said after the game, “I took a knock to my ankle. I probably won’t sleep well tonight, but I’m hoping it will improve over the next few days.”
Silva, meanwhile, who strode through the mixed zone not, it seemed, in a mood to be stopped and questioned, was indeed caught by one reporter who called out the player on the tackle, to which he replied, “My friend, this is football.”
In 2018, Silva was questioned about how his Man City teammates were being challenged by opponents during games following some particularly cynical fouling. To which he replied, “We hope that soon they start protecting our players because the way other teams are tackling our players, it’s not part of the game, it’s not fair play, and they have to try to punish the players that play this way.”
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It seems the Portugal international has come a long way to now saying that it’s simply football… Certainly a lack of consistency on show.
Man City are currently facing the reality of being reportedly found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League. An appeal process is ongoing with Man City strong in their stance of denying any wrongdoing.
Silva won six Premier League titles with City, three FA Cups, five EFL Cups and the Champions League during his time in Manchester before leaving this summer for Real Madrid at the end of his contract. Many have questioned whether the titles won during, and even after, the alleged period when City have been accused of breaking financial regulations will be stripped, or the seasons voided instead.
Erling Haaland, Silva’s former City teammate, appeared after the match to snub a hug from Silva, who came up to him. Whether this was due to his international teammate being hurt by Silva is just speculation for now.
Odegaard has been on receiving end of some very dangerous tackles by Man City players in the past. In October 2023, Matteo Kovacic somehow avoided a red card at the Emirates Stadium after a studs-up challenge on the back of the Norwegian’s ankle.
Prior to that, during the March international break of the same year, Spain played Norway, and former Man City captain-turned-Barcelona midfielder Rodri dove in studs-up on Odegaard in the box after the Arsenal man had got a shot away. It sent Odegaard flying and hurt, but the referee waved away the protests.
"I’m pretty sure I should have had a penalty," Odegaard told TV2 at the time. "He’s coming with his studs right on my ankle.
“But I’m sure I’ll get punished [if I say any more]. I don’t bother saying anything else about the referee. It’s better not to say anything."
Silva will return to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal with Real Madrid on Wednesday, 9 December. It’s fair to say I wouldn’t expect the reception to be welcoming…
Tom Canton joined football.london as the Arsenal Fan Brand Writer and Presenter before becoming a permanent Arsenal Reporter in 2025. Tom produces plenty of analytical content in addition to breaking stories and is a regular attendee at matches and press conferences. Can also be found on YouTube @TheGoonerTalkTV
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