Pep Guardiola fires Mikel Arteta dig after controversial Man City vs Tottenham referee decision

Pep Guardiola fires Mikel Arteta dig after controversial Man City vs Tottenham referee decision

Mikel Arteta was on the wrong end of a Pep Guardiola outburst after Tottenham Hotspur drew with Manchester City
Pep Guardiola used Mikel Arteta’s outburst at St James’ Park to deflect a question following Tottenham Hotspur’s 3-3 draw with Manchester City.

One of the season’s hottest talking points centred around Newcastle United’s controversial winner against Arsenal last month. A furious Arteta branded Premier League refereeing a “disgrace” and “embarrassing” to English football.

Another contentious refereeing call at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday resulted in referee Simon Hooper denying Jack Grealish a goalscoring opportunity in stoppage time. Erling Haaland had been chopped down by Emerson Royal before getting up and threading Grealish through on goal.

Another contentious refereeing call at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday resulted in referee Simon Hooper denying Jack Grealish a goalscoring opportunity in stoppage time. Erling Haaland had been chopped down by Emerson Royal before getting up and threading Grealish through on goal.

With the England international about to bear down on Guglielmo Vicario, the official then denied the advantage he appeared to initially give and pulled back play. City fans – as well as Haaland – raged at the decision which ultimately confirmed the draw.

Speaking post-match, Guardiola fired a cheeky dig at Arteta, his former assistant, when grilled about the incident. The Spaniard also refused to criticise Haaland following his explosive rant at full-time.

“Next question (when asked about the Grealish call),” he said. “I will not do a Mikel Arteta comment. The referee will now whistle after saying play on, after the pass then whistles. So I don’t know.