Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was left furious after James Milner avoided a red card in his team’s Premier League draw with Liverpool, insisting the player should have been sent off.
The flashpoint came midway through the second half when Milner, who had already been cautioned, avoided a yellow card for what appeared to be a clear foul on Bernardo Silva.
Milner then went on to play a significant role in Liverpool’s second goal, which gave the Reds a late lead and forced City to fight back for an equaliser. Moments after that, he was substituted.
Speaking after the final whistle, Guardiola claimed the home crowd may have been a factor in referee Paul Tierney’s decision not to brandish a second yellow card. He also said that had the situation been reversed, a player wearing sky blue would have been sent off.
“It's a yellow card. It's clear,” the City boss told Sky Sports. “It's Anfield, it's Old Trafford. In our situation, a City player is sent off. It's too much clear. It was a second yellow.”
Guardiola wasn’t alone in his opinion, with ex-City player and Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards describing the incident as an ‘absolute shocker’ from the referee.
“The referee has had an absolute shocker,” he said. “I don't understand how that is allowed to happen. How can he not give that decision? It's absolutely baffling. He was influenced by the crowd. We have to tell the truth. It's a yellow card and it changes the outcome of the game.”
Three minutes after Milner being taken off, City grabbed an equaliser when Kevin De Bruyne's effort from outside the box deflected in off the unfortunate Joel Matip. The draw means that Chelsea end the weekend top of the Premier League table, following their 3-1 win over Southampton.
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Source : 90min