Pep Guardiola urged his side to improve rather than blame officials after Erling Haaland was denied a potential penalty during Manchester City’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest on Saturday night.
City were involved in a dramatic contest that ended in a share of the points, but one of the key talking points after the match was a moment involving Haaland inside the penalty area. The Norwegian striker appeared to be brought down during the game, but the referee waved play on, sparking debate among fans and pundits.
Speaking after the match, Guardiola refused to criticize the officials and instead insisted that his team must focus on their own performance.
“Always I believe we have to do much better to not make interventions from officials,” Guardiola said. “Otherwise, we don’t have anything.”
The City manager emphasized that relying on refereeing decisions is not the right approach, especially after several controversial moments throughout the season.
“It’s our responsibility to do better. If you have to rely on them with what happened this season, it’s impossible,” he added.
Despite the frustration surrounding the incident, Guardiola’s comments suggested that City must concentrate on controlling matches through their performances rather than hoping for decisions to go their way.
The draw against Forest means the reigning champions dropped valuable points, adding further pressure in the title race. While the Haaland incident will continue to be discussed, Guardiola’s message was clear: City must raise their level and avoid leaving the outcome of matches in the hands of referees.