LOSING TO THE BIG GUNS WON’T DEFINE US, SAYS BOSS

BLUEBIRDS boss Neil Warnock admitted it was a tough day at the office in yesterday’s 5-0 defeat to Manchester City, but admitted that matches against Arsenal, Chelsea and the Premier League champions were never going to define their season.

Cardiff have suffered three defeats against the big guns, conceding 12 goals in the process, and Warnock admitted: “It was a long afternoon.”

He added: “I thought we started well. I thought in the first 30 min- utes, we had shape and knew what we were doing, but the goals killed us. I’ve not seen our heads go down like that. It’s a disappointment.

“Like I said before, it’s not going to define our season, but it will knock our chin on the floor.

“The lads have got to get over the weekend and get on with next week.

The Cardiff boss also had bad news on Lee Peltier’s injury - with the right-back stretched off with a shoulder injury early on in the second-half.

“He dislocated it I think. That sort of compounded the afternoon really.

“I think he’ll be out for a few months. That’ll leave us a bit thin, but hey ho.”

Meanwhile, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola admitted that aggressive tackles are just “a part of football” as he refused to chastise Cardiff City’s Joe Ralls for a rash challenge on Ilkay Gundogan.

Just over half a year after he had called for more protection from referees after Bluebirds left-back Joe Bennett’s horror tackle on Leroy Sane had caused the German international ankle ligament damage, Guardiola was in more forgiving mood, declaring: “(Referee) Michael Oliver decided it was a yellow card. He said it was a foul.

“We played quick. When you play against a team that are more aggressive, you move the ball quicker.

“The game was good for play – for both sides. They fouled, we fouled.”

Match report: Sport pullout