Featured Image Credit: beIN Sports / Getty
Topics:Ā Pep Guardiola, Manchester City, Arsenal, Football, Premier League
Ryan Smart
Topics:Ā Pep Guardiola, Manchester City, Arsenal, Football, Premier League
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has claimed that his players will start to 'disobey' referee orders after something Michael Oliver did against Arsenal.
Oliver has been in the headlines after the 2-2 draw between the two sides, largely for his controversial decision to give Arsenal's Leandro Trossard a second yellow card for kicking the ball away.
He also decided not to punish Erling Haaland for barging into Thomas Partey in injury time, while City players surrounded him after he allowed Arsenal to take a quick free kick in the lead-up to their first goal.
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City captain Kyle Walker claimed that Oliver should have allowed him to get back into position for the free kick after being called over to speak to the referee.
And Guardiola echoed the England international's thoughts - and went one step further by expressing what his players will do if a similar situation arises again in the future.
He told beIN Sports: "Next time, when the referee asks the captains to talk to them, we will not go. Because we have to go to our positions.
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"At the same time, you have to avoid the quick pass. We know they play quick. We have to organise better the defence, or situations like that happen.
"But many situations happen in a football game, and that is good for everyone."
Walker, meanwhile. confronted Oliver in the tunnel at half-time, as per BBC Sport's Simon Stone, and while he stopped short of criticising the referee in his post-match interview, did believe he should not have restarted play after the City captain and Arsenal's Bukayo Saka were called out of their positions.
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He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "If he calls me over, if I go over of my own accord, then fair enough [to restart].
"But for him to call both captains over, and then not let me get back in position... if I was a goalkeeper, does he let me get back in my net? Of course. I'm a defender, I'm the first line of defence. He should let me get back in and be set."