Pep Guardiola suggested that Manchester City are not getting consistency from referees as he brought up the anger that contributed to Erling Haaland's yellow card against Everton.
Haaland invoked the wrath of nearly the entire Everton team with a full-blooded slide on Vitality Mykolenko towards the end of the first half, with the visitors incensed that the City striker wasn't sent off for the challenge. A bad-tempered match saw seven yellows dished out by Andrew Madley, with three for the home side and four for Everton.
Guardiola was not impressed by a question in his post-match press conference about the aggression Haaland showed, taking it as centring on the foul that his No.9 committed. The City boss did tell his striker to be careful after the challenge but cited a number of incidents at Leeds to show his unhappiness at the treatment his team were receiving.
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"Are we going to talk about that [foul] for Haaland and not what they have done?" he said. "It was a yellow card, definitely.
"I know what happened with Leeds - the first yellow card for an 18-year-old boy [Rico Lewis] when before with Jack Grealish I know what happened. Grealish was down three or four times and nothing happened and then the first action [from Lewis] was a yellow card.
"I know what happens. I have said many times for many years: We are Man City, we are not.... we have to do our best and it happened. It's a yellow for Erling and I said be careful because the action can be dangerous and we cannot be 10 against 11 but he was a little bit angry from the first action with his ankle and he reacted well and generally we did a good game.
Having suggested City weren't getting fair decisions, Guardiola then rowed back when asked if he thought his team weren't getting enough protection from referees.
"No, no, no, no, no. How many years are we here, seven? Do I complain about referees? I don't have a relationship with referees," he said.
"I don't want one. Before when we have a meeting I never go, my assistants go. I don't want to talk to them. The meetings with Premier League referees, I don't want to be there, I don't care.
"They do their job. for me it's fine. We made a fantastic game. I think we have the duty to talk about the football, about the game. But I know what's happened."
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