Manchester City’s Repeated Red Cards Are A Cause For Concern

In the closing stages of Manchester City’s win against Brighton and Hove Albion, the current Premier League champions found themselves at a numerical disadvantage.

Having already been booked for a foul in the first half, Manuel Akanji decided to pull an opponent’s as they span away to launch an attack.

Referee Rob Jones reached into his pocket to produce a red card and, whilst the Swiss midfielder may have flapped his arms in protest, it was hardly a controversial decision.

The upshot of his stoppage time misdeed is that the defender will miss the game against Manchester United next weekend.

Taken in isolation a silly red card at the end of a game that was eventually won can be written off.

But the problem is Akanji’s sending-off comes immediately after influential midfielder Rodri’s three-game suspension.

Arguably it could or should be even worse than that with Mateo Kovacic incredibly lucky to avoid being given his marching orders in the previous Premier League match with Arsenal.

All of which begs the question: Does Manchester City have a problem with discipline?

The two red cards accumulated this season are already double the figure for the last campaign and match the total for each of the back-to-back league-winning campaigns.

It is tellingly that you have to go back to the 2019/20 season to find a period when City had a worse discipline record, racking up four red cards that year.

That campaign was the last City failed to win the league, a year where they were disjointed when flashes of brilliance were far too regularly matched by lapses of judgment.

Of concern are the similarities to some of the frailties present in 2019/20.

‘Controlling emotions’

In the aftermath of Rodri’s sending off a few weeks back-for a needless grapple with Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs White-Guardiola was blunt in his criticism.

“Rodri has to control his emotions. I can get a yellow card but Rodri cannot get a red,” he said referring to the new rules which expanded the number of staff on a bench who can be punished by the referee.

“I don’t play, the players in the pitch have to control their emotions.”

Guardiola was clearly aware he would be open to accusations of hypocrisy given his booking meant he’d be absent from the touchline the following week against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

City subsequently lost that game and in the aftermath, the Catalan coach addressed his not being on the sideline to communicate with the players.

“It’s a new rule. They explained to us that sometimes we are not correct to them,” he told the media. “They are the bosses, they make the rules and we have to accept it. We’re not going to change [it], no? They’re going to change the rule because I am booked? No, I have to adapt to them. We know each other quite well. They know me but I know them, that’s for sure.”

“It’s worse that players don’t play than me. It’s not a big issue. It’s not a problem, they made the rules,” the coach added.

Interestingly Guardiola offered some insight into his personal history with officials.

“When I was a player at Barcelona I was the least physical player ever but maybe I was one of the most booked players in Barcelona. Always because I talk and talk and talk. Now as a manager, it is the same,” he explained.

In a sport where small margins can be the difference between victory and defeat it’s little surprise at the top level players and coaches seek to influence refereeing decisions.

What is concerning for Manchester City is that the disciplinary problems that have crept into this campaign are in addition to a loosening of the stranglehold the team has tended to have on games.

Simply put: Guardiola has more to complain about.

The side might be amongst the teams at the top of the division, but performances have often flattered to deceive.

Heading into the Brighton game Guardiola suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time in six years.

The losses to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Arsenal were hardly comprehensive, but neither were they unfair results

Guardiola was philosophical in the aftermath of the loss, suggesting things would be better on the other side of the subsequent international break.

“Now we have two defeats in a row and then we have the internationals,” he said “Hopefully they come back fit and then we go again.

“Maybe it is a little bit better to be there and see what we have to do to catch them and then [we will] when we come back. It has happened. In Wolves, it was a difficult game. Congratulations to Arsenal. We know exactly what we have to do and we do it.”

The trouble is improvement has not been forthcoming, after a blistering start against Brighton which saw City rush into a two-goal lead, the team appeared to lose focus and let the game drift.

Several clear-cut chances were conceded and in the closing stages, the home side was clinging on.

Guardiola knows teams in control of games are less likely to have players sent off because they won’t be in positions that risk such incidents.

But on Saturday, with City unable to dictate proceedings, Akanji was caught in the wrong place and committed the foul.

The hope for Guardiola is that this lapse is not a product of a greater loss of focus.