WENGER’S RAGE AT CITY
ALL THE SUPER SUNDAY DRAMA Gunners boss calls Sterling a diver and slams offside goal as decisions help Pep’s men to go eight points clear at the top
ARSENE WENGER branded Raheem Sterling a diver as Man City opened up an eight-point lead at the top of the table. Wenger was left raging at two decisions he claimed cost Arsenal the game. City were awarded a controversial penalty just after the break when Sterling went to ground following a challenge by Nacho Monreal, with Sergio Aguero converting from the spot. TV replays then showed David Silva was in an offside position when he passed for Gabriel Jesus to plunder City’s third, with Wenger unable to contain his fury. The Gunners boss said: “It was no penalty. We know Sterling dives very well. And the third goal was offside. “I’m very upset because at 2-1 we were in the game. The third goal was the killer and it’s no coincidence that mistakes always go for the home team, as we know. It’s unacceptable. “Last year we conceded two offside goals. Of course they’re a top team but that makes it even more difficult for you. “Can anyone stop them? It will be difficult, the way they have started and with the quality they have, but you never know. “If, on top of that, they have decisions at home like that they’ll be unstoppable.”
Guardiola hit back at Wenger and said Arsenal had been guilty of being on the receiving end of fortuitous decisions themselves.
The City boss said: “They tell me it was offside and I don’t like to win in that way. But sometimes Arsenal win in Burnley, 1-0 with a hand, so sometimes it’s like this.”
Aguero was given a guard of honour by former City strikers before kick-off to mark him becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer and he took his tally to 179 with his spot-kick.
Bonfire Night had not been lit and City had rocketed to 52 goals in all competitions this season.
That is now 15 consecutive wins. Yet you get the feeling Guardiola believes there is an awful lot more to come from this City team – an awful lot. And that is the frightening thought. Arsenal had decent spells but City should, for a largely dominant first half, have had more to show than Kevin de Bruyne’s left-footed strike past Petr Cech.
But as if a team like this needs any help, up stepped ref Michael Oliver, falling for Sterling falling over as he ran across Monreal’s perfectly reasonable path, allowing Aguero to impudently net from 12 yards.
Alexandre Lacazette, who should have been on from the start if Wenger had any confidence, came on to provide a directness that had been sorely missing. But after his strike lifted Arsenal spirits it took an assistant referee’s dormant flag less than 10 minutes to dampen them.
It turned out to be closer than most in the stadium first thought but Silva looked clearly offside when setting up the Jesus tap-in.