Chelsea decidedly won the match 3-1 over Manchester City today, but they didn’t win the brawl that ensued in stoppage time. Neither did City. That’s because no one wins when an ugly brouhaha arises during the beautiful game.
This Shameful scene at the Etihad saw Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho shown red cards.
https://twitter.com/iChelseaApp/status/805076937009954818
City Manager Pep Guardiola apologized for the brawl and had this to say on the tackle by Aguero on Chelsea defender David Luiz- “both players were tough”. “He [Aguero] went down [to ground] and touched him [Luiz]. Aguero’s challenge was not intentional,” Guardiola said.
Asked to confirm that he did not think the challenge was intentional, Guardiola replied: “I don’t think so. Maybe I have to understand many things here but referee says red card so red card. Like Nolito [sent off against Bournemouth].”
On the other side, Chelsea boss Antonio Conte praised his players for keeping calm.
“This final [part of the game] wasn’t good, and I hope only that Luiz isn’t injured from this tackle,” Conte told Chelsea’s official website. “It’s very difficult to explain this final [part of] of the game. When the referee whistles for the end, it’s important that we finish.
“I’m very happy because I always tell my players to focus on the game, on the pitch, and always to keep calm. It’s normal when you play these big games — it’s not easy to keep calm in every single moment. But I’m pleased because I saw all my players tried to keep calm.”
The loss now means that Guardiola and company, the preseason league title favorite, are four points behind Chelsea for the top of the table.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, currently contributes regularly to the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye publication and Bold Global.
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