2023 was an unforgettable year for Manchester City fans as Pep Guardiola delivered an historic Treble – but the year was not completely smooth sailing.
The club secured another Premier League and FA Cup, and were able to follow it up with the trophy that has long eluded them – the Champions League.
Rodri‘s goal against Inter means his name will forever be in the City history books, but it was just a phenomenal team effort to complete a Treble, which only one other English side had managed previously.
2023 was brilliant, but that does not mean to say there haven’t been any controversies, and Manchester City News reflects back on three pretty big ones last year…
Bruno Fernandes scores against Manchester City at Old Trafford
City had just been beaten by Southampton in the Carabao Cup quarter-final and were looking to respond against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
But there was controversy in the game when, in the 78th minute, Casemiro played a through ball for Marcus Rashford.
Rashford chased the ball despite having started from an offside position and as the ball came to the edge of the penalty area, the England striker then pulled away from the ball, allowing an onside Fernandes to come in and shoot.
The flag was raised for offside against Rashford, with the linesman having deemed him to have interfered, despite not touching the ball. VAR overruled the decision, awarding the goal to Fernandes and United.
It left a very bitter taste for City, with Guardiola saying after the game (The Athletic): “Rashford is offside, Bruno is not offside, the question is interference. When one player from 18-yard box shooters and one player is in front of the keeper but doesn’t touch the ball, it is disallowed all the time.
“The situation and the decision is the referee’s, the VAR, our defenders make a line (for Rashford), if we know it’s Fernandes we don’t make the line, we follow the action, and after the action the interference for Edi (Ederson).”
Man City hit with 115 charges
Back in February, there was huge news that the Premier League had charged Manchester City with 115 alleged breaches of financial rules.
Those breaches, according to Sky Sports, are from a period spanning from the 2009/10 season to the 2017/18 campaign.
Reacting in a statement, City said that they were ‘disappointed but not surprised’ by the announcement by the UEFA Adjudicatory Chamber.
City have long maintained that they are innocent and are fighting the allegations levelled at them, but it is frustrating that they are hanging over the club and will be for some time.
Hopefully, everything is going to stand up in the end.
Simon Hooper fails to play advantage for Jack Grealish
In Manchester City’s recent game against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, City were left very aggrieved by one baffling decision by referee Simon Hooper.
It came right at the end of the game, as City sought a fourth goal in what had been a thrilling game.
Spurs had just equalised to make it 3-3 and then City came forward on the counter in injury-time. Erling Haaland was fed the ball and then brought down in his own half.
The Norwegian got up in an instant and then played a lovely ball over the top for Jack Grealish, who was then in on goal and had a chance to potentially win the game.
But Hooper, having initially gestured as though he was playing advantage, brought play back to the absolute fury of the City players.
Hooper’s decision may well have cost City a couple of points that day, and the club were handed a £120,000 fine to boot for failing to control their players.
