Pep Guardiola furious with Michael Oliver over referee trickery

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola though not one to make controversial headlines, has made one after dropping points to title rivals, Arsenal in Sunday evening’s epic clash.

Thus, the former Barcelona boss has vowed to take drastic action after a controversial moment in their 2-2 draw against Arsenal left him fuming.

The drama unfolded when referee Michael Oliver called captains Kyle Walker and Bukayo Saka for a discussion, only to let Arsenal take advantage of a quick restart, leading to Riccardo Calafiori’s equalizing goal.

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Usually, players are given time to return to their positions after such chats, but this time, Oliver allowed Arsenal to play a fast one, catching City’s defense off guard.

Despite John Stones’ last-minute heroics to salvage a point, Pep Guardiola was livid about the incident and vowed not to let his players speak to referees again in such situations.

“Next time, we won’t go to talk to the referee,” Guardiola said post-match. His frustration was clear as he criticized how Oliver’s handling of the situation disrupted City’s defense, leading to a critical goal.

The crowding of referee by Manchester City has been a bone of contention City’s rivals have complained about in recent seasons. This is of course after the premier league last season ruled against this behavior for teams. However, the Cityzens continue to crowd the referee during games without any facing any sanctions for it.

With Pep Guardiola now rethinking his team’s approach to on-field discussions with officials, this decision could set the stage for even more tension in future Premier League battles.