Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been slammed after celebrating in the face of Kostas Tsimikas, with Rio Ferdinand bemused as to how the Liverpool substitute didn't retaliate.
Guardiola let his emotions get the better of him when he gleefully celebrated Julian Alvarez's equalling goal in the first half of City's triumphant 4-1 win. Tsimikas, alongside fellow sub Joel Matip, was walking back from his warm-up down the touchline at the Etihad Stadium before Alvarez slotted home to make it 1-1 after a typically slick attack from the hosts.
Delighted with his side's slick move which got them back on level terms, Guardiola bounced around his technical area and got in Tsimikas' face. The Greek defender kept his cool and walked with Matip back to Liverpool's bench before team-mate Arthur Melo received similar treatment from City's jubilant manager, getting a handshake and pat on the head.
Ferdinand reacted to the incident on BT Sport at half-time, with the ex- Manchester United defender saying: "That celebration there, I don't know how Tsimikas hasn't pushed him out of the way... He couldn't contain himself."
Fans on social media were critical of Guardiola's behaviour, with one saying: "I'm annoyed Tsimikas didn't react, terrible from Pep." A second commented: "It would have been worth the suspension."
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A third tweeted: "He's lucky it wasn't in front of Nunez." Another raised a point by saying: "There would be uproar if that's Klopp or even Arteta to be honest." A fifth added: "I can't see how people find this funny, if Klopp or Arteta did this there would be uproar."
A sixth said: "Pep showing how classy he is again!!!"
Guardiola was celebrating in less controversial fashion in the second half, though, as quick-fire goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan made it 3-1 before the hour mark. Those two strikes put City on course to cut the gap to Premier League leaders Arsenal to five points, and Jack Grealish sealed it with a fourth goal in the closing stages.
Although Liverpool took the lead in the game, City's fourth goal summed up their dominance in a largely one-sided affair. "He absolutely deserves that, Jack Grealish, he's been at the heart of everything that Man City have done," BT Sport's Lucy Ward said.
"Liverpool are really looking sorry for themselves now. Again, patient build-up from one side to the other. The second phase of Liverpool's press is really slow, really late, and it just allows City to pick them off.
"They have still got to have the movement, they've still got to have the finish, but they [Liverpool] have not tracked back, not followed the runners, and you can't do that against any team in the Premier League, nevermind Manchester City."
