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 City’s 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, “I’m fine with my yellow card.”
Silva elaborated on his reasoning: “I think it was a foul in our favor, and he didn’t need to go for the ball. If he touches the ball, I’m allowed to do something like that. I knew I was going to get booked, but the rules are the rules.”
Bernardo Silva did this to Garnacho, and not a single word is being said about it. We'd never hear the end of it if Lisandro Martinez did this.
The Manchester City midfielder also criticized Garnacho for trying to delay the game in the final moments. “At 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 don’t like,” 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 Hag’s squad during the final against Manchester City, he singled out Alejandro Garnacho for praise. “He does everything good players do. Good players have an impact on the game, and every time he’s on the field, he makes a difference. He finds a way through, scores a great goal. When he’s on the pitch, I expect that from him,” Keane said.
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As for the rest of the United squad, Keane didn’t hold back in his critique. “In the end, they weren’t strong enough and will need a bit more composure to avoid conceding late goals like the one they did against Manchester City,” he concluded in his conversation with ITV.
