Neither manager was happy with Joe Bennett after Manchester City’s FA Cup victory over Cardiff City on Sunday.
Bennett was sent off at the very end of the fourth round tie, which ended 2-0 in the Premier League leaders’ favour, but he was very lucky to have seen the second half.
The Cardiff defender could easily have received a red card for a cynical and vicious tackle on Leroy Sane on the stroke of half-time, a challenge which is set to keep the City winger out of action for several weeks.
City boss Pep Guardiola rushed on to the pitch immediately after the full-time whistle to lambaste referee Lee Mason, not for the bizarre decision to disallow a Bernardo Silva goal, but for a failure to protect his players.
Pep made his feelings clear at full-time.
📺 Reaction 👉 https://t.co/b4CJ2uC95u #bbcfacup #CARMCI pic.twitter.com/il2rkSjF2j
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) January 28, 2018
“Sané will be out for a while – minimum two or three weeks, one month,” Guardiola said. “We will see what exactly tomorrow. It’s his ankle. I have said many times – the only thing they [the officials] have to do is protect the players. I can accept the disallowed goal. I don’t know why it was disallowed but I will accept it.”
Cardiff manager Neil Warnock held nothing back in his criticism of Bennett but, rather than ridicule him for his ugly first-half tackle, Warnock took umbrage with Bennett’s second yellow card.
“They’re so quick, that’s the problem,” Warnock said. “With the movement and everything else, you think you’re there and all of a sudden he’s gone.
“But I was disappointed he got sent off at the end – obviously he doesn’t want to go to Leeds next weekend, because it was an absolutely pathetic challenge when on booking. To do something like that I think is disrespectful to teammates.”
