More consistency, refs.
Nicolas Otamendi is not known for his calm and collected tackling. The Argentine rightly has a reputation for diving in to tackles and today he lived up to that reputation in City’s clash against Tottenham Hotspur.
Going into a challenge with Harry Kane, Otamendi lifted his foot well beyond what is considered an acceptable height and caught Kane in the face. Nobody is claiming it was intentional, but undoubtedly clumsy and dangerous.
A lot of fans pointed out that Liverpool’s Sadio Mané received harsher punishment when he committed the same offence back in September. The winger was sent off for a catching City keeper Éderson in the face, despite his honest intentions to control the ball.
Otamendi got away with a yellow card, and it wasn’t only aggrieved Spurs fans and (fairly) bitter Liverpool fans who expressed their outrage.
Rose’ push worse than Lovren vs Everton, same ref gives no pen. Otamendi’s kick to the face worse than Mané’s, no sending off. Inconsistency in reffing in this league is ridiculous. And no, it doesn’t “balance itself out”, that’s a myth.
— Joel Rabinowitz (@joel_archie) December 16, 2017
How has Otamendi not been sent off for that? If Mane was a red against City then that's a red for Man City. Simple.
— Mootaz Chehade (@MHChehade) December 16, 2017
There’s only one difference between Mane and Otamendi’s challenges. Mane had no idea that Ederson was racing out. Otamendi knows exactly what he’s doing. Very lucky not to get sent off.
— Michael (@MikeMongie) December 16, 2017
Fans are understandably angry when such a lack of consistency is shown in refereeing decisions, especially in such big games. That Mané red card completely changed the dynamic of the City vs Liverpool fixture and if Otamendi had received the same punishment, Spurs would have been handed a lifeline and a way back into the match which City unsurprisingly dominated.
