Why do big fish get all the big calls, ask minnows

ACCUSATIONS were flying in the aftermath of Manchester City’s controversial stoppage-time winner against Bournemouth.

One accusation came in a statement by a steward to the police that Sergio Aguero had assaulted him during the raucous celebrations of Raheem Sterling’s deflected, looping effort in the seventh of what was supposed to be five minutes of added time. Bournemouth were embarrassed later that evening when the steward withdrew his allegation.

Accusations of ‘ big- team bias’ followed from Bournemouth’s players.

‘I feel we’ve been done because we’re playing against Manchester City,’ said Bournemouth defender Steve Cook. ‘They’ve got the decisions that they’ve gone on to win the game from.’

Bournemouth were furious for two reasons: that the goal originated from a City freekick for a foul by Lys Mousset they disputed, and that it came two minutes over time allotted by the fourth official.

‘If it’s a foul it’s the end of the game,’ Cook said. ‘It’s one or the other, if it’s not a foul we go on. If it’s a foul it’s the end of the game — 97 minutes.

‘It was even throughout but the big decision, the one that affected the game, has gone against us. I don’t think it’s a foul, so it’s very frustrating.’

Cook was not the only one crying conspiracy. ‘Maybe it’s subconsciously but that’s true,’ said team-mate Asmir Begovic, who has been on the other side of it at Chelsea.

‘It’s just the way it happens. You look at the extra time, you could see a couple of things didn’t go our way, that’s for sure. We were on the wrong side of it and I think the bigger teams do get those calls.

‘I don’t think we got many calls at the end, that’s to be expected, the bigger team always gets the calls. It looked like it was obviously over, the initial added time. It’s a blow. If the powers want to look at it by all means that would be welcome.’ Regardless of the accusations, no one can accuse City of lacking resolve this season. A late leveller against Everton in their previous game was followed by an even later winner on Saturday.

After Gabriel Jesus cancelled out Charlie Daniels’s opener in the first half, a winner did not appear to be coming despite the majority of possession. Sterling’s celebrations were so exuberant he was dismissed for a second yellow card.

‘Last year I don’t think we won any of these games, so for us it’s massive,’ said Kevin De Bruyne. ‘In the three games, we have seen the resilience in another way.

‘Obviously, they started well and it was a world-class goal. I think afterwards we tried to put pressure on them and it turned into a bit of a madhouse at the end.’