Guardiola cites James Milner in Sterling penalty explanation

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has bizarrely used James Milner as an example when speaking about the incorrect penalty decision awarded for Raheem Sterling’s trip last night.

Sterling stubbed his foot in the turf and fell while running towards Shakhtar Donetsk’s goal, for which the referee amazingly awarded a penalty to City.

Following the game, which City went on to win 6-0, Sterling clarified: “I went to chip the ball and don’t know what happened. I didn’t feel contact. I scuffed the ball. Apologies to the ref.”

READ: Liverpool make contact over 18-year-old Spanish striker

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – Sunday, January 14, 2018: Liverpool’s Sadio Mane scores the third goal during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

READ: Andy Robertson: “It’s one of those periods we need to get through”

And Guardiola, when asked if Sterling had any obligation to tell the referee that he hadn’t actually been fouled, said “He could do that, yeah. But last season, Liverpool – Milner could say (about) the pass for the second goal in the 44th minute, (that) it was a legal goal.”

The Blues boss was referencing a moment in last season’s 2-1 quarter-final second-leg in the Champions League match between Liverpool and City, when Leroy Sane had a goal disallowed for offside even though the ball was accidentally played to him by James Milner.

“He could do that, but of course (referee Antonio) Mateu Lahoz didn’t want to concede that goal, so that’s why it happened,” Guardiola continued.

“You could do that. We don’t like really to score a goal in that situation.

“VAR is what it is. The referees, I said a long time ago, must be helped. They want to make a good performance, they don’t want to make mistakes, but today the game is quick and fast and the players are more skilled.

“They must be helped because in the end it takes three, four, 10 seconds for someone to say it is no penalty. It is what it is.”

The post Guardiola cites James Milner in Sterling penalty explanation appeared first on AnfieldHQ.

Source: anfieldhq.com