Manchester City captain Kyle Walker has voiced his frustration over a controversial moment in his side’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal. The incident occurred before Riccardo Calafiori’s stunning strike put Arsenal 2-1 up. Walker, along with Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka, had been called over by the referee, and Walker feels this disrupted the City defense.
“I’ve not gone over to the referee. Me and Bukayo have not gone over – he’s called us over” Walker explained. “If I’m being called over, he should wait and allow me to get back in position before the ball is then over my head. If I go over by my own accord and I’m out of position, it’s my fault. But I’m in position, he’s called the two captains to calm the players down.”
Walker further expressed his frustration with how the situation was handled, feeling that it left him and the team vulnerable defensively. “I’m walking back saying: Lads, concentrate, nothing stupid, make sure we get through this. The ball is then going over my head.”
“If I was a goalkeeper, does he let me get back in my net? Of course. I’m a defender, I’m the first line of defense, he should let me get back in and be set and then blow the whistle.”
Pep Guardiola backed his player, also calling the situation unfair. “Next time, we’ll not go to talk to the referee” Guardiola said. “Kyle Walker was just right. The referee asked him to come to talk to him and the other ones, and when that happens some players have to be close to the ball, and we have to readjust the back-four, but they didn’t have time.”
Guardiola added, “When the referee says: Come to talk to me, at least leave him to come back to the position. Because next time, we will not go to talk to them.”
The situation contributed to Manchester City’s challenges during the match, as the team also had to deal with the loss of Rodri, who left the pitch in the 20th minute with an ACL injury. Despite the setback, City managed to rescue a point with John Stones scoring an equalizer deep into stoppage time.
In addition to the on-field challenges, Manchester City are also dealing with off-field issues, as the club faces an ongoing investigation regarding 115 breaches of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations. The trial, which started last week, has been closely followed by both supporters and critics. While Pep Guardiola has expressed confidence in the integrity of the club, the outcome of the investigation could have significant implications for City’s future. Guardiola has previously stated that he hopes the trial will conclude swiftly, allowing the club to focus solely on football, but for now, the uncertainty looms large as the season progresses.