Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has reacted to his team’s 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa, suggesting that a questionable refereeing call contributed to his team’s disappointing loss on Sunday.
New Telegraph had earlier reported that the decisive goal came from Matty Cash, who capitalised on a corner-kick delivery that Guardiola alluded was controversial. The result leaves City six points adrift of Premier League leaders Arsenal.
Guardiola Opens Up On Villa Defeat
Speaking after the match on Monday, Guardiola focused primarily on his team’s performance shortcomings but subtly hinted at the decision.
“In the first half, the pressing wasn’t good; in the second half, it was better. We were not aggressive enough,” he admitted. Regarding the goal, he initially described it simply.
“It was a corner. A good corner and a goal.”However, he quickly introduced an ambiguous defence of the officials while simultaneously excusing his team from complaining about the buildup.
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“Listen, it doesn’t matter. We can talk about this reaction,” Guardiola said. “Listen, in 10 years, already here I respect the referees too much. It was a corner, and we should’ve defended that.
You cannot complain about actions from five minutes before.”
He concluded by placing the ultimate blame on City’s failure to convert their own opportunities: “We had the chances to score, we couldn’t do it. We will improve.”
