CITY IN PEAK FORM BUT IT’S A FARCE FOR SMITH
Silva 79,
Gundogan 90 (pen)
MANCHESTER City went to the top of the Premier League for the first time this season last night but were indebted to decisions Aston Villa’s red-carded manager Dean Smith described as ‘farcical’ last night.
Having seen his team hold out for 79 minutes of an enthralling encounter largely played in driving rain, Smith was furious with the goal that saw City finally break through.
While there was no doubting the quality of Bernardo Silva’s wonderful strike, his first top-flight goal of the season, Rodri had come from a clearly offside position to dispossess Tyrone Mings before setting Silva up.
Neither referee Jon Moss nor VAR official Andy Madley saw any reason to rule the goal out and Smith was initially yellow-carded for his protests.
As Moss turned away, Smith continued to give him a piece of his mind and the referee showed him a straight red card. To rub salt into Villa’s wounds, Moss awarded a harsh penalty after Gabriel Jesus’ header struck Matty Cash’s arm and Ilkay Gundogan sealed City’s victory from the spot. The Premier League quickly backed the decision to give the first goal, saying Mings had played Rodri onside by deliberately playing the ball.
But that view cut no ice with Smith, who called his team’s efforts ‘heroic.’
‘It’s farcical,’ Smith told BT Sport. ‘He was ten yards offside and come back and tackled our player. It’s a pathetic law and a pathetic decision.
‘Matty Cash is a yard away for the handball, he can’t jump without his arms up.’
City had 24 shots at goal against a Villa side who had not played a league game since New Year’s Day due to a Covid outbreak, including Joao Cancelo’s second-half shot against the bar.
City manager Pep Guardiola said of the opening goal: ‘I know they were complaining but I didn’t see it.
‘It was a very good performance again, against a top side. They are very dangerous and just look at their results this season.’