Alejandro Garnacho and Bernardo Silva were two of the standout figures in the 2024 Community Shield final, which saw Manchester City emerge victorious over Manchester United in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in regulation time.
Garnacho scored a late goal to give Manchester United a 1-0 lead, and with just minutes left, he tried to run down the clock, seemingly securing the win for the Red Devils against their bitter rivals. However, during a stoppage in play, Garnacho was fouled hard by Silva, which earned him a yellow card.
After Cityās triumph, Silva addressed the incident that sparked criticism due to the aggressive nature of the foul, especially against a player as young as Garnacho. Unapologetic, Silva defended his actions on the field, saying, āIām fine with my yellow card.ā
Silva elaborated on his reasoning: āI think it was a foul in our favor, and he didnāt need to go for the ball. If he touches the ball, Iām allowed to do something like that. I knew I was going to get booked, but the rules are the rules.ā
The Manchester City midfielder also criticized Garnacho for trying to delay the game in the final moments. āAt that point in the match, we were losing and needed to restart play quickly. That tactic of trying to slow the game down is something I donāt like,ā Silva stated, putting an end to the debate.
Manchester United legend praises Alejandro Garnacho
While Roy Keane, the Manchester United legend, was critical of Erik ten Hagās squad during the final against Manchester City, he singled out Alejandro Garnacho for praise. āHe does everything good players do. Good players have an impact on the game, and every time heās on the field, he makes a difference. He finds a way through, scores a great goal. When heās on the pitch, I expect that from him,ā Keane said.
see also
Erik ten Hagās message to Manchester United owners
As for the rest of the United squad, Keane didnāt hold back in his critique. āIn the end, they werenāt strong enough and will need a bit more composure to avoid conceding late goals like the one they did against Manchester City,ā he concluded in his conversation with ITV.
