Guardiola also issued a strong warning to the Man City players ahead of their Premier League clash against Crystal Palace.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has advised his players not to expect any favours from referees or VAR when they face Crystal Palace in a Premier League encounter on Wednesday night.
He issued the warning on Tuesday while addressing reporters ahead of the crucial league match.
City must defeat Crystal Palace to keep up the pressure on league leaders Arsenal in the title race.
A draw would effectively end their aspirations and ensure the Gunners lift the Premier League trophy for the first time in 22 years, provided they beat Burnley on Sunday.
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Speaking ahead of Palace’s visit to the Etihad, Guardiola suggested that he has never fully trusted referees or match officials since his arrival in England. He also described VAR as a “flip of a coin”, adding that he lost two FA Cup finals due to poor officiating.
He went on to warn his players that they cannot blame referees if they do not achieve their goals this season.
Guardiola said: “We lost the two finals of the FA Cup because the referees didn’t do the jobs they should have done, even the VAR.
“When this happens, it is because we have to do better, not [blame] the referees or VAR. I have never trusted anything since I arrived a long time ago.”
