Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva has dropped a bombshell admission, claiming his side would have pipped Arsenal to the Premier League title this season—if not for their ongoing transition.

The Etihad Stadium has seen a major shake-up since Hugo Viana took over as sporting director last summer, with nearly £200 million splashed out to refresh the first-team squad. It's been a period of change off the pitch, and Silva believes that has cost them on it.

As City gear up for Saturday's FA Cup final, they're still chasing a domestic treble, having already lifted the Carabao Cup in March after beating Arsenal at Wembley. That victory kept them hot on the Gunners' heels in the title race, but Silva's honest take suggests it could have been different.

"They (Arsenal) have been growing and well, it's a team that has been together for, what, five years now—so it's only natural that they would man up a little bit and start challenging for titles," the Portugal international told The Athletic's Oliver Kay. "So, yeah, let's see what happens."

Silva, who's set to leave Manchester this summer, didn't hold back when reflecting on the season. He pointed to City's uncharacteristic errors as a key factor, insisting that consistency has been the difference. "I'm not in love (with Arsenal). I do believe our main rivals (in his time at Manchester City) were Liverpool by far," he added.

"I also believe—and I know this is very subjective—that if we were not in a transitional season and if we didn't make so many mistakes, we would have won this league. I don't say we would have won easily, but we would have won this league. So, it's quite frustrating."

With Pep Guardiola's side now focusing on FA Cup glory, Silva's words add extra spice to an already intense rivalry—and a reminder of just how fine the margins are at the top of English football.