In a fiery post-match address, Pep Guardiola launched a sustained critique of Premier League officiating following Manchester City’s 2-0 victory over Newcastle United in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, a result overshadowed by a controversial Video Assistant Referee decision.
The City manager, whose side took a commanding lead towards Wembley thanks to goals from new signing Antoine Semenyo and substitute Rayan Cherki, directed his frustration not solely at the disallowed goal but at a perceived pattern of injustice against his team.
The flashpoint occurred in the 67th minute at St James’ Park when Semenyo, who had opened the scoring earlier, deftly flicked a corner past goalkeeper Nick Pope. However, a protracted VAR review, lasting nearly six minutes, concluded that Erling Haaland was in an offside position and interfering with defender Malick Thiaw.
Referee Chris Kavanagh upheld the decision after reviewing the pitchside monitor, disallowing the goal.
Guardiola’s anger, however, spanned months. “I would like to know why VAR in the Premier League game at Newcastle when we lost 2-1… it was an insane penalty on Schar for Phil Foden and not even a consideration,” he demanded, referencing a November league match where the Key Match Incidents Panel later admitted a penalty should have been awarded.
He also cited a potential handball in the same game and an incident in last season’s FA Cup final where Crystal Palace’s goalkeeper handled outside the area. “Today, four people were not able to decide because the line was, I don’t know… millimetres,” he said of the offside call. “I’m pretty sure Howard Webb is going to come in tomorrow to give an explanation of that,” Guardiola added, calling out the head of the refereeing body.
Despite the frustration, Guardiola claimed the episode galvanized his squad, who sealed the win with Cherki’s late strike. “I think my players were angry. Maybe it helped us to be that way,” he stated. “We know how it works and that will make us stronger”.
This sentiment was echoed by captain Bernardo Silva, who told ITV, “It should have been 3-0 but we are quite used to this at the moment… It is so frustrating because the last time we came here we also had a lot of decisions go against us”.
The decision divided pundits. While some, like Jamie Redknapp and Newcastle’s Dan Burn, acknowledged it was technically correct by the strict letter of the law, they and others lambasted the lengthy process and subjective nature of the call.
Former City defender Micah Richards argued, “VAR wasn’t brought in for this reason here… This is anti-goal”. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe refrained from debating the verdict but said, “I think five minutes is too long for a VAR delay, especially on a cold night – no good for supporters or players”.
The result leaves Newcastle with a formidable challenge in the second leg at the Etihad Stadium on February 4. For Guardiola and City, the battle on the pitch is now intertwined with a very public battle over the consistency and application of the rules, ensuring the controversy will linger long into the return fixture.