Pep Guardiola refused to be drawn into a debate on referees after Manchester City's 3-3 draw with Newcastle United on Sunday, although he did admit that in real time he thought Kieran Trippier deserved a red card for a foul on Kevin De Bruyne.
City and their hosts played out a thriller at a raucous St James' Park, with City fighting back from 3-1 down to earn a point thanks to second-half goals from Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva.
The match was a breathless end-to-end contest which provided a great advert for Premier League football, but there was a moment in the second period when things threatened to get ugly.
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As De Bruyne - who put in another masterful performance topped off with a superb assist for Bernardo's goal - charged past the halfway line on a City breakaway, Newcastle defender Trippier took action to stop the Belgian in his tracks.
The City academy graduate hacked De Bruyne down without any attempt to play the ball, catching his knee with the outside of his boot. De Bruyne reacted furiously to the challenge, before referee Jarred Gillett promptly issued Trippier with a straight red card.
The decision was overturned by the VAR, with the defender's punishment downgraded from red to yellow. After the match Guardiola was asked whether he thought the right decision was made.
"I didn't watch it [a replay]. I watched the action, he wanted to stop heavily a counter-attack but I didn't watch on TV so I don't know. If a referee went to the VAR, saw the action and if he believes it's not a red card it's not a red card."
But when asked whether he thought it was a red card challenge on first viewing he said: "Probably, yeah, but I don't want to be involved in that. I think the foul was clear but I don't know if it's a red card.
"I said it probably looks like [a red card] but I didn't watch it [back again]. The referee went to the VAR and someone said from the sky - not Sky TV, from heaven - and say go to VAR review, it's because they saw no intention or aggression."
Guardiola's coaching staff - Rodolfo Borrell in particular - were incensed that Trippier was not given his marching orders, protesting in vain to the fourth official. After the game Trippier said he apologised to De Bruyne for his tackle.
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