Man City charged by FA for failing to control players surrounding referee against Tottenham

Manchester City have been charged by the Football Association (A) in the aftermath of a heated 3-3 draw against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday, December 4, 2023.

The title holders are accused of failing to manage their players as a skirmish ensued following referee Simon Hooper's decision not to grant City a potentially crucial advantage in the closing moments of the match, leading to an altercation.

The incident occurred in the fifth minute of injury time when the Norwegian was fouled but managed to regain his balance and set up Jack Grealish, who was clear on goal. Although Hooper initially signalled for play to continue, he later blew the whistle to bring the ball back for a City free-kick.

Venting his frustration, Haaland reposted a clip of the incident with a comment on X saying "Wtf." This post drew attention due to its offensive slang.

Manager Pep Guardiola, maintaining composure during the media interview, chose not to follow the provocative path of some equals. He acknowledged that mistakes can happen but expressed surprise at the inconsistency in Hooper's decision-making.

Guardiola commented on the referee's initial gesture to play on after Haaland's fall, only for him to later blow the whistle when the ball reached Jack Grealish. Addressing Haaland's response, Guardiola noted that the striker's disappointment was understandable and suggested that even a referee playing for Manchester City would likely be dissatisfied with the action.

"Next question. I will not do a Mikel Arteta comment. Sometimes I lose my mind about the referees, but here no. Always people can make mistakes. It surprised me for the fact that he went to whistle when Erling went down, but after he stood back up and made the pass, the referee made the gesture to play on. But then when the ball goes to Jack, then the whistle," said Guardiola in his post-match interview.

Despite the controversial decision, Guardiola emphasised that the draw wasn't solely due to that incident. On the other hand, Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou remained unfazed, stating that the refereeing decision didn't affect him and that there were more compelling storylines in the game than one officiating call.