Football
Jonathan Smith, Manchester City correspondent 7y

Pep Guardiola on referees: It's always Manchester City's fault

MANCHESTER -- Pep Guardiola stopped short of criticising referee Lee Mason but was clearly unhappy with the official after Manchester City's 2-1 win over Burnley.

Fernandinho was sent off in the 32nd minute for a lunging tackle on Johan Gudmundsson -- the Brazilian's third red card in his last six games.

Gael Clichy and Sergio Aguero scored twice in the second half before Burnley pulled a controversial goal back when Ben Mee scrambled the ball over the line.

Guardiola said referees would have given a foul on Claudio Bravo all around the world and that only in the Premier League would the goal stand.

"It is always our fault, it's always City's fault," he told a news conference. "Yeah, yeah. I saw other games -- all around the world, the Burnley goal on Claudio Bravo is a fault.

"Here, and all around the world, the rules say the goalkeeper in the six-yard box cannot be touched.

"He goes here and the striker does this [punching his arm]. But I saw [Maarten] Stekelenburg at Everton vs. Middlesbrough at the beginning of the season and it was the same, it was a goal.

"OK so I have to adapt and I have to understand there are special rules here in England. Now I learn, so now we're going to play."

Fernandinho is likely to receive a four-game meaning he will have been banned for a total of eight matches this season.

Guardiola says they will accept the decision and insists his side have not got a disciplinary problem despite City now receiving seven red cards this season.

Asked about the problems, he said: "We try to play football. My teams always in my career try to play football. I cannot control the other circumstances."

The win moves City back up to third having played a game more than Arsenal and Tottenham and Guardiola was at least pleased with the spirit of his 10-man team.

"After a game in Anfield two days ago, 10 men 60 minutes, resilience," he said.

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