Pep Guardiola Lashes Out at Referees After Controversial Arsenal Equaliser
Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola didn’t hold back after a controversial moment during his side’s thrilling 1-1 draw against Arsenal. The Spaniard was left fuming after referee Michael Oliver allowed Arsenal to take a quick free-kick, leading to their equaliser while City were still scrambling to get back into position.
The drama unfolded when City were leading 1-0 thanks to an Erling Haaland goal. During a stoppage in play, Oliver called over City captain Kyle Walker for a conversation following a foul. But before Walker could return to his position, Arsenal took a lightning-fast free-kick, allowing Riccardo Calafiori to fire a stunning equaliser from range. Guardiola, visibly furious, kicked his dugout chair in frustration as the ball hit the net.
Initially, Guardiola was frustrated with Walker for being out of position but quickly shifted his anger toward the officiating. Speaking after the match, Guardiola hinted that he might instruct his players to ignore referees in the future if it means keeping their defensive shape intact.
“I was angry with Kyle at first,” Guardiola admitted. “But Kyle was just following the referee’s instruction to come over. When the referee asks for a chat, you expect them to at least give us time to get back into position. If that’s not the case, next time we won’t go.”
Guardiola wasn’t the only one frustrated with Oliver’s performance. Arsenal fans were also enraged earlier in the match when Leandro Trossard was shown a controversial red card in the first half.
Guardiola’s comments are sure to spark more debate around the role of referees and the fairness of quick free-kicks, especially in high-stakes matches between Premier League giants.
