The City boss namechecks Howard Webb and recalls ‘unbelievable’ past penalties after a controversial five-minute VAR review at St James’ Park.
Even in victory, Pep Guardiola could not hide his frustration with the officiating following Manchester City’s 2-0 Carabao Cup win over Newcastle. Speaking to ESPN after the final whistle, the Spaniard delivered a pointed message to the PGMOL, claiming that after a decade in English football, he has spotted a clear pattern in refereeing decisions.
The Five-Minute Wait The flashpoint of Guardiola’s anger was a disallowed goal by Antoine Semenyo. The strike was ruled out after a grueling five-minute VAR review, which eventually judged Erling Haaland to be in an offside position and interfering with play—a decision Guardiola labeled as “subjective.”
“I don’t understand it,” Pep stated. “In our last Premier League game against them, there was a foul by Schär on Phil [Foden] and a penalty involving Doku and Thiaw where VAR said nothing. Today, they spend five minutes to find a reason to disallow a goal.”
A Message to Howard Webb When asked about the lack of consistency in the booth, Guardiola directed his comments toward the head of refereeing. “Ask them. Who is the head of the referees? Ask him,” he said, referring to Howard Webb.
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Guardiola emphasized that he intentionally chose to speak out after a win to avoid accusations of “sour grapes.” “Review my press conference after we lost in November—I said nothing. But I am saying it today because we won. In 10 years here, I know exactly what happens. These situations only strengthen us. It’s about how we react and compete against everything.”
Inconsistency in the Spotlight While the disallowed goal didn’t prevent City from taking a two-goal lead into the second leg, Guardiola remains concerned about the flow of the game. “The issue isn’t the result; Newcastle could have scored too. The issue is why VAR takes five minutes for one call but stays silent on two absurd penalties when the score is 0-0. The consistency is just not there.”
Siara Costa is a football editor and writer covering both European men’s and women’s football, with a focus on league competitions, match coverage, and in-depth storytelling.
