LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA) – Pep Guardiola was incensed by the new stoppage time regulations after Manchester City’s Community Shield loss to Arsenal.
Leandro Trossard’s deflected goal in the 111th minute denied City a 1-0 victory, forcing penalties, which Arsenal won 4-1 at Wembley.
Despite the fact that there had already been eight minutes of extra time, referee Stuart Atwell granted an additional 14 minutes because Kyle Walker and Thomas Partey needed medical attention following a head-on collision.
Guardiola lamented the new regulations after the game, saying, “We have to get accustomed to it. It is not irritating.
I had the impression that not enough had occurred to prolong the game by eight minutes, not because we were winning 1-0.
However, given that they don’t consult the managers or the players, it is a valid question for the international board and everyone else.
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This is because the International Football Association Board, which makes rules, does not consult either group.
“Whatever their opinion, we have to accept it. Now the games will be 100 minutes, that’s for sure. It never happened today, and it was eight minutes, Imagine if they extended for goals every time you scored a goal in a game [that is] 4-3. You put 30 or 45 seconds on for seven goals, tomorrow morning 9 a.m. I am here playing.”
Perhaps not surprisingly, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta saw the other side of the argument. “It’s about effective time,”
He said. “I think it’s really good to do that, because it was going too far I think and now teams are going to have to think twice. Now we have to be prepared to play 100 minutes because it’s going to happen every single week.”
Cole Palmer’s magnificent effort gave City the lead in the 77th minute, and until Trossard’s stoppage-time goal took a significant deflection off Manuel Akanji, City didn’t appear threatened.
Guardiola and his team undoubtedly want a victory, as City has now dropped three straight Community Shield games.
They will find comfort in the knowledge that they went on to win the Premier League championship in the seasons that followed the two prior defeats.