Pep Guardiola has refused to be drawn on West Ham’s controversial disallowed goal against Arsenal, insisting he stays solely focussed on Manchester City’s upcoming clash with Crystal Palace.
City applied the pressure on title rivals Arsenal with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Brentford last weekend to cut back the gap to 2 points ahead of the Gunners’ trip to West Ham.
A deflected strike from Leandro Trossard silenced the house crowd with just seven minutes remaining of normal time, with the relegation-threatened Hammers proving a troublesome nut to crack up until that time.
But there was one other jaw-dropping twist in stoppage time as Callum Wilson fired through a crowd of bodies to seemingly cancel out Trossard’s effort and rescue some extent for the hosts.
After a lengthy VAR check, though, which dragged on for the very best a part of five minutes, Wilson’s goal was disallowed for a foul within the build-up, with Pablo adjudged to have impeded David Raya with an arm across the chest.
The visitors clung on to their narrow lead to return away from the London Stadium with a 1-0 victory, ensuring they restored their five-point advantage on the summit with just two matches remaining of the top-flight campaign.
Asked how the late controversy affected the mood within the City camp at a press conference this afternoon, Guardiola replied: ‘I didn’t see the players yet since I gave them a break day.
‘Crystal Palace, Crystal Palace. I’m considering what we’ve to do to at all times learn from my profession as a manager: what you can’t control, ignore it.
‘Do higher, what you’ve got not done higher this season, arrive in higher positions to fight for the Premier League.
‘We’re still fighting… and Crystal Palace.’
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Once the dust had settled on the late drama on the London Stadium, West Ham head coach Nuno Espirito Santo claimed ‘everyone’ in football was ‘confused’ by apparent inconsistencies in refereeing.
Pressed for a response on Nuno’s remarks, Guardiola replied: ‘I’m not the proper person to ask.
‘What is alleged is alleged up to now so it’s an issue for the referees, for what they determine, not me.’
Asked how football can get a way of ‘authenticity’ back, the City manager said: ‘VAR arrived for a few years here. We adapt, we understand it and everybody knows it.’
City’s squad can be all too aware that dropped points at home to Palace on Wednesday night will likely prove catastrophic of their hopes of catching Arsenal at the highest of the Premier League table.
And despite Fifteenth-placed Palace going 4 games with no win within the English top flight, Guardiola knows it is going to be no mean feat based on his past experiences against the Eagles.
‘It has at all times been a troublesome game since Roy Hodgson especially and now with Oliver Glasner,’ the Spaniard explained.
‘They’ve their final, a European final [Europa Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano on May 27], so possibly struggling just a little bit within the Premier League, numerous changes.
‘The manager is leaving, that was announced a protracted time ago, and possibly they’re not consistent, but the standard is there, the patterns are there.’
On Glasner, Guardiola continued: ‘He did an incredible job in Germany and he’s an experienced manager, little question.
‘Top team with a past, with Eberechi Eze, with Jean-Philippe Mateta, with Adam Wharton, with Marc Guehi, clear patterns, really, really good.
‘Tough to beat and at all times have been, but still we’re there.’
There are some fears amongst City’s fanbase that Palace could play a weakened team against Arsenal on the ultimate day of the Premier League season given their Conference League final with Rayo Vallecano falls just three days later.
Asked if he, too, was concerned concerning the prospect of Glasner resting players against the Gunners, Guardiola replied: ‘No, they’re so skilled, the teams.
‘Crystal Palace will play top against us. We saw Leeds yesterday against Spurs how even being out of the relegation battle they still compete.
‘We played here against Aston Villa up to now, West Ham, we knew how difficult it was so I’m pretty sure they are going to do their best.
Is the title race already over?
‘They’ve their final three days later.’
Guardiola went on to sing the praises of Marc Guehi, who in fact left Palace to finish a £20million move to the Etihad in January.
‘I said one week later since he arrived that he was an incredible signing,’ he said of the England defender.
‘He’s focussed in each detail of the sport, his private life, to be an expert, it’s an unbelievable sign for this club.
‘So we’re really pleased along with his behaviour, how he turned around immediately. That defines the large, big players in the large clubs. Really pleased.’
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