Guardiola Critiques Referee Decisions after City’s Victory over Wolves

Hallam officiated his inaugural Premier League match after previously refereeing in the English Football League since 2023. During the game, he was summoned to the monitor by VAR officials at Stockley Park to ascertain whether Yerson Mosquera had committed a handball while defending against Omar Marmoush.

In a rare instance of a referee upholding his initial call rather than adhering to VAR’s suggestion, Hallam declared: “After review, the ball strikes the arm of the Wolves player, which is in a natural position; therefore, the on-field decision stands.”

Wolves’ manager Rob Edwards commended the referee for his decision-making, while Pep Guardiola voiced his dissent, demanding clarification from Howard Webb, the chief of Premier League referees.

At a press conference, Guardiola remarked: “The referee made his debut, and now everyone will recognize him. It’s the first time, I believe, that he went to the monitor and disallowed a penalty for a naturally positioned arm. I am confident that Howard Webb will address the media to explain why it wasn’t a penalty. They took a similar approach against Manchester United—initially uncertain, which is why Jeremy Doku could not play against Bodo/Glimt due to an incident involving Diogo Dalot. I look forward to Webb’s explanation tomorrow; we have the Champions League coming up, so please don’t delay until Wednesday.”

This is not the first instance this season where Guardiola has expressed discontent regarding officiating decisions. He was particularly irate when VAR ruled out Antoine Semenyo’s goal during the Carabao Cup semi-final against Newcastle after a lengthy review. He also appeared displeased that Diogo Dalot avoided a red card in last week’s Manchester derby.

Guardiola emphasized the need for his injured players to return to mitigate the impact of referee decisions on his team, stating, “I wish to have all our players available to counteract what referees are doing, despite our nine years and six Premier League titles. I urge you to come tomorrow and clarify the rules. Do you know how many fouls are called against Jeremy due to his incredible pace? When others run at a slower pace and get pushed, it’s deemed diving; yet, at Jeremy’s speed, a mere touch can disrupt his control.

“At the beginning of the season, we were told that when central defenders infringe upon a striker’s space, it’s a foul. Yet, how many fouls is Erling Haaland awarded? More are called against him than for him. We need our players back.”

With City’s victory over Wolves, they narrowed the gap to four points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal. However, Guardiola’s immediate focus shifts to their upcoming Champions League match against Galatasaray. A win is essential for City to maintain a chance of securing a direct spot in the knockout stage instead of entering a playoff.

Guardiola concluded: “We triumphed against a team that had been unbeaten in their last four or five matches, which is quite satisfying. We needed to break their momentum; thus, our energetic first half was crucial. Although we faced challenges after Khusanov’s foul and the last 20 to 25 minutes felt a bit flat, given the congested fixture schedule, it was a commendable result. I hope we can carry this positive energy into our match on Wednesday.”