Pep Guardiola urged Rodri to “control your emotions” before getting sent off against Nottingham Forest on Saturday and criticised the performance of referee Anthony Taylor at full-time.
The treble winners were 2-0 up and cruising at the break thanks to strikes from Phil Foden and Erling Haaland, before Spain international Rodri was dismissed at the start of the second half for raising his hands to Morgan Gibbs-White during a scuffle. No more goals arrived after half-time as City contained Forest despite the player deficit.
City boss Guardiola was unhappy with the inconsistency of decisions made by official Taylor, who booked ten players during the afternoon, also admitting his advice was ignored by Rodri.
“The first minute, Haaland goes alone to the goal and it’s a yellow card [that isn’t given], it’s the same guy who makes an action to Rodri and it’s a yellow card and that would be the second yellow card. After the first action, we get a yellow card,” the former Barcelona coach said.
“It’s eight years here and we know each other quite well. I said at half-time to be careful. Relax, and control your emotions. Unfortunately, Rodri didn’t do it. We have to accept it, the decision of…I don’t know the name of the referee.
“Hopefully Rodri will learn. The game was perfect after 35 minutes for both sides trying when it became chaos it wasn’t our responsibility, that’s for sure.
“Rodri has to control himself and his emotions. I can get a yellow card but Rodri can’t. I don’t play. You have to be careful.”
“The referee changed the game. I don’t understand why the first action wasn’t a yellow card and the first action is a yellow card to us, I don’t understand,” he added.
“With all the yellow cards the responsibility is not Nottingham Forest or Man City’s, that’s for sure.”
Despite the red card and suggested questionable officiating, City picked up their sixth Premier League win from as many games to take a five-point lead at the top of the table with most of the chasing pack in action on Sunday.
City next travel to Newcastle on Wednesday night for a third-round Carabao Cup tie before visiting struggling Wolves next weekend. Rodri will miss those two games as well as the trip to Arsenal in October through suspension but will be available for the Champions League trip to RB Leipzig.
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