Pep Guardiola fumes after Manchester City lose 2-1 at Newcastle United in EPL

NEWCASTLE – Pep Guardiola was left fuming, after Newcastle United dented Manchester City’s English Premier League title challenge with a controversial 2-1 victory on Nov 22.

The Spaniard’s side trailed to Harvey Barnes’ second-half opener at St James’ Park before Ruben Dias equalised for the visitors.

Moments after Dias levelled, Barnes bagged Newcastle’s contentious second goal, which was allowed to stand after a lengthy video assistant referee (VAR) check for a potential offside against Bruno Guimaraes.

Guardiola felt City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma had been fouled in the build-up to Barnes’ winner and was also aggrieved over a rejected first-half penalty claim by Phil Foden.

Guardiola stormed onto the pitch at full time to confront referee Sam Barrott, but later said “everything is fine” when asked about the incident.

“It happened in the Bournemouth game and it happened today again. It is what it is after VAR decided. They know perfectly,” he said, with a hint of sarcasm about Newcastle’s second goal.

“You see Donnarumma complain and that is because something wrong happened.

“It was an entertaining game, we both had chances and then there was a momentum shift and ultimately we couldn’t win.”

City defender Dias was more candid, telling Sky Sports: “Where’s the sense in their player pushing our goalkeeper outside the goal? What are we allowing, and for how long?

“Sometimes you allow it, sometimes you don’t. Where’s the rule? What can you actually do?

“We’re so picky with certain contacts, but one like this with the ’keeper, you allow it?

“It is what it is. If that’s the rule, fine. But let us do the same.”

City’s fourth league defeat this season left them in third place, four points behind leaders Arsenal, who hosted Tottenham Hotspur on Nov 23 in a match that ended after press time.

City went into the international break with a 3-0 victory over troubled champions Liverpool that made it seven wins from eight games in all competitions.

But they squandered that momentum in an error-strewn display on Tyneside, as Erling Haaland was held without a goal for only the third time in 21 matches for City and Norway this season.

Haaland was hoping to score his 100th league goal in his 109th appearance since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in 2022.

But he wasted several chances and Newcastle took advantage to beat City for just the second time in their last 36 league meetings.

Eddie Howe’s first win over City in 19 top-flight attempts eased the pain of Newcastle’s successive league defeats at West Ham United and Brentford before the international break.

For 14th-placed Newcastle’s goalscorer Barnes, a rare win over City was just what the club needed after a slow start to the season. 

“Hopefully, after today’s result, we can kick on and go on a good run,” he told the BBC.

Earlier on Nov 22, Arne Slot accepted the blame for Liverpool’s sixth Premier League defeat in seven matches after strugglers Nottingham Forest swept to a shock 3-0 victory at Anfield.

Slot’s side slumped to their joint-worst Premier League loss on home turf as Forest piled on the misery for the spluttering champions.

Murillo, Nicolo Savona and Morgan Gibbs-White scored for Forest in the Reds’ heaviest home defeat since losing 4-1 to Manchester City in 2021.

Chelsea and West Ham are the only other teams in the Premier League era to win at Anfield by three goals.

Slot was outwitted by Forest boss Sean Dyche, whose low block and counter-attacking game plan exposed the flaws in Liverpool’s misfiring line-up.

“How bad that is difficult to measure but it was very bad. Playing at home, losing 3-0 no matter which team you face is a very, very bad result,” Slot said.

“I want to emphasise I am responsible for the current losses, you are responsible when you are winning but also responsible when you are losing.

“I can never come up with excuses for us to have the results we have. That is far from good enough and I am responsible for that.”

Dyche, meanwhile, said his players had embraced the ugly side of the game after their physicality and defensive graft helped them secure the win.

 “Everything’s not solved but it’s a good, strong marker about this group,” he told reporters.

“Now they are committed to the cause. You wouldn’t be a Premier League player if you don’t have talent but what about the hard yards? The ugly side of the game?

“And staying focused on what the job is – I thought that was excellent.” AFP, REUTERS