Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini criticised the appointment of referee Mark Clattenburg for the pivotal game against Premier League title rivals Tottenham which saw his team slump to a 2-1 defeat on the back of a controversial penalty decision.
Clattenburg awarded a spot-kick for handball against Raheem Sterling when a cross from Tottenham’s Danny Rose hit the City winger on the back of the arm.
And having been in charge when Tottenham won the reverse fixture 4-1 at White Hart Lane in September, when Pellegrini felt two of the home side’s goals should have been disallowed, the City boss claimed Clattenburg should not have been given the job again.
“Unfortunately for us it was the same referee, Clattenburg, as when we lost against Tottenham in the first round with two goals offside. It was decisive for the game. For me I don’t think it is a good decision to have the same referee,” said the City boss.
“It was absolutely the wrong decision (to award the penalty). It hit the back of Raheem Sterling then his elbow. Sterling was not even seeing the ball.
“It was the key moment that decided the game. Before that they did not shoot towards our goal and did not have any chances.”
City cancelled out Harry Kane’s spot-kick through substitute Kelechi Iheanacho but crashed to a fourth home defeat of the season when Christian Eriksen slotted in his sixth goal of the season seven minutes from time on his 24th birthday.
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