Frustration Over Refereeing Decisions
After Saturday’s match at St James’ Park, Manchester City defender Rúben Dias expressed frustration over the contentious decision to allow Newcastle’s second goal, which ultimately secured their victory. Dias emphasized that the inconsistency in refereeing decisions left him perplexed, suggesting that the current rules lack clarity.
Contentious Second Goal
Newcastle’s Harvey Barnes scored twice, with his second goal coming after what appeared to be a physical interference with City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma during a corner. Despite Donnarumma’s protests to the referee following the goal, the video assistant referee (VAR) chose not to intervene.
“Out of all the decisions, only the second goal — I think we need to make it make sense,” Dias commented during an interview with Sky Sports. “Sometimes you allow it, sometimes you don’t. Where’s the rule? What are you actually allowed to do?”
Double Standards in Rulings
Reflecting on the incident, Dias noted,
“The second goal left our keeper out of position after being pushed. It’s surprising that such contact is permitted. I replayed the moment and it was clear that Barnes had indeed pushed him away from the goal. We seem to have a double standard when it comes to ruling on these types of incidents. If that’s how it’s interpreted now, then we should apply the same logic in all situations.”
Call for Clearer Regulations
While Dias acknowledged Newcastle’s triumph, stating, “They were better and deserved to win,” he nonetheless called for clearer regulations regarding goalkeeper interference to ensure fairness in such key moments.
Manager’s Perspective
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola also weighed in on the controversy by referencing a similar situation in a previous match against Bournemouth, where Donnarumma faced disruption at a corner leading to an equalizing goal for the visitors. Guardiola remarked,
“If he’s complaining, it’s because something went wrong. It’s similar to what happened in Bournemouth.”
Impact on Premier League Standings
This defeat for Manchester City came at a critical moment as they aimed to reduce Arsenal’s lead in the Premier League to a single point, a target that will be pursued further as Arsenal prepares to face Tottenham on Sunday.
