Premier League Issues Official Statement Following Controversial Call in Spurs vs Man City Draw

Pep Guardiola was left furious after Manchester City’s 2-2 Premier League draw with Tottenham Hotspur, insisting Spurs’ opening goal should have been ruled out due to a foul on Marc Guehi. In response to the controversy, the Premier League later issued an official statement explaining the decision.

City enjoyed a comfortable first half and took control early, with Rayan Cherki breaking the deadlock inside 11 minutes. The French winger was City’s standout threat, firing past Guglielmo Vicario before Antoine Semenyo doubled the visitors’ advantage.

However, the second half told a completely different story. Dominic Solanke inspired Spurs’ comeback with two goals in just 17 minutes, earning his side a valuable point. Despite late drama, neither team managed to find a winning goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Although Spurs were pleased with the draw, many questioned whether their first goal should have stood. By that stage, Tottenham had grown into the game and were causing problems for City, which led to Solanke’s strike in the 55th minute.

The goal was initially recorded as an own goal by Guehi—who joined City from Crystal Palace in January—but was later credited to Solanke. On closer inspection, the incident appeared controversial, as Guehi attempted to block Solanke’s shot and the pair collided in the process.

Video replays showed clear contact between the two players, but VAR chose not to intervene. The Premier League Match Centre later clarified that Solanke had played the ball, meaning the challenge was not considered a foul and the goal was awarded to the Spurs forward.

In his post-match reaction, Guardiola openly criticised the decision. He suggested Guehi had been kicked from behind while in possession and implied the same incident would have resulted in a penalty if it had involved an attacker.

The City boss expressed his frustration with refereeing decisions in the Premier League but insisted his team must move forward.

Guardiola also acknowledged City’s lack of consistency this season, noting there are still many points to fight for. With City now six points behind Arsenal, they will aim to bounce back when they face Newcastle United in the League Cup before travelling to Anfield in the Premier League.