DOUBLE TROUBLE
Mahrez’s ‘freak’ penalty lets City off the hook as top-four place is all but secure for Pep’s men
WHEN Pep Guardiola makes his end-of-season speech congratulating Manchester City’s players on reaching the Champions League, he’ll have to mention referee Robert Madley who was courageous enough to correctly disallow Riyad Mahrez’s penalty and enable the home side to hold on to three valuable points.
Guardiola’s coveted top-four finish is within touching distance now after first-half goals from David Silva and Gabriel Jesus ultimately proved decisive.
But things would look very different had Mahrez converted his 77thminute penalty to pull the match back to 2-2 following Shinji Okazaki’s wondrous volley just before the interval.
The Algerian had won the penalty himself by forcing Gael Clichy into a clear trip with his quick feet inside the area. However, Mahrez’s left foot hit the ball against his standing right foot from the penalty before it flew in past Willy Caballero.
As Mr Madley recognised, Law 14 states the penalty-taker ‘must not play the ball again until it has touched another player’ and correctly cut Leicester celebrations short as they celebrated their ‘equaliser’.
But there have been other examples this season of ‘double touches’ from penalty takers that were missed by officials and allowed to stand, most recently Antoine Griezmann for Atletico Madrid against Real Madrid last week.
Bolo Zenden’s winner for Middlesbrough against Bolton in the 2004 League Cup final was also a double-hit penalty.
‘The referee was so brave to interpret the rule,’ said Guardiola. ‘It was two touches and you have the same rules in golf.
‘ I realised from the shot that something was a little bit strange and when I saw the reaction from Willy I understood immediately what had happened. Nicolas Otamendi slipped for Leicester’s first goal, then Mahrez slipped, too, so we have to be careful we have the right boots on Tuesday ( against West Brom).’
Leicester’s i nterim manager Craig Shakespeare was unhappy that a couple of City players had encroached into the area as Mahrez stepped up, but added: ‘ A freak penalty, a double touch, and you can understand by the letter of the law why it didn’t stand.’
Guardiola confessed he’d never seen a penalty disallowed live, though he had on television.
It proved the pivotal moment of a match packed with incident as Manchester City avenged their 4-2 defeat at the King Power Stadium in December.
There was a major dispute over Manchester City’s brilliant first goal, Marc Albrighton ending with a lump underneath his right eye the size of a golf ball after being caught by Fernandinho’s elbow. ‘Leicester are so complicated to play against. I can why they were champions last year,’ said Guardiola, who was particularly admiring of the range of passing of goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
For the opening 42 minutes, it looked like a routine home win for a Manchester City side now unbeaten in six League games.
The deadlock was broken when Leroy Sane’s cutback to David Silva was mishit by the Spaniard and spun into the net past Raheem Sterling, who was trying to get a final touch from an offside position.
Leicester players swarmed around Mr Madley and his assistant claiming Sterling was interfering with play even though he hadn’t touched the ball, and Shakespeare said: ‘I felt Sterling made an effort for the ball and having seen the replay, he is in an offside position.
‘ More experienced managers than me have said about getting support for the refs in terms of video. In terms of the real crucial decisions that is one that has gone against us today.’
City’s second goal was more straightforward. Yohan Benalouane cleaned out Sane and all that needed to be decided was the identity of the penalty-taker.
On his 34th birthday, first pick Yaya Toure charitably let striker Gabriel Jesus take the ball and he sent Schmeichel the wrong way.
It needed something special for Leicester to get back into the game and it arrived three minutes before the interval. Mahrez started the move before play switched to Albrighton on the left. His cross into the box was slightly behind Okazaki but the Japanese forward lifted his body off the ground, wrapped his leg around the ball and connected with a sweet volley that hit the back of the net.
‘An exceptional goal,’ said Guardiola, who used to manage Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta.
If the first half was open, the second half was sparky with Albrighton left with an ugly wound after being caught by Fernandinho’s flailing arm as the Brazilian ran across to challenge him.
Albrighton was incensed and made an elbowing gesture to the officials after he received treatment although Shakespeare said after watching replays he didn’t think the Brazilian’s challenge was deliberate.
Albrighton continued to play with his massive bump and was later booked for a retribution foul on Fernandinho. Christian Fuchs was also cautioned for cuffing Jesus in the back of the head as they challenged outside the box.
Even after Mahrez missed his penalty chance, Manchester City were left hanging on.