Pellegrini told reporters at a post-match press conference:
“To be generous, it is a little soft. Too generous, it was not a penalty. It is a play that happens a lot of times in the box, Manuel Lanzini had the same in their box and nothing was given and he didn’t throw himself to the floor.
If we lose this game with another action then maybe you can accept it, but not that penalty.
Well they didn’t score another way. We defended very well as we walked on all their moments in attacking well. I think the first big save from Lukasz Fabianksi was minute 61, after that they had a couple of chances so if we lose that way maybe you can accept it more.
They had lots of shots at the beginning of the game but they had to rush them as we always had a defender near them, they had a lot of offsides also. I think that we played very well in defending, not so well in attacking because we didn’t have the possession we wanted.
Especially, well, we played this game with eight players injured and four players rested for the game on Saturday.
Asked whether Bernardo dived?
“I think he has a touch with Felipe Anderson but not enough to go to the floor, no.
Declan and all our defenders played a good game, we defended well. It is to easy to stop Manchester City will all their attacking movements and not normally seeing City delay the game, take it to the corners to try and win 1-0.
So I think Declan was one of the players who did very well defending but in attacking – we were very unlucky that Marko Arnautovic woke up ill with a fever because we wanted to have a good recovery in our box, have three fats players up front with Antonio and Anderson to make good counter-attacks.
On Ben Johnson’s debut:
“Of course it was a big risk. But we didn’t have any other option. Masuaku is injured, Cresswell broke his toe in the last game, Zabaleta is just coming back from a back injury that he was not able to play the full game. Unfortunately for him [Johnson], this was his first game!”
But he didn’t do so bad, he had good answers every time they tried to attack down his side. I changed him not for his performance, he had a calf problem.
He is also a right back, not a left back but he had to play and he did very well.”
Dermot Gallagher claims there wasn’t enough contact, and that he wouldn’t have given a penalty. So we’ve lost 3 points recently to two ridiculous decisions from the officials against the league’s top two teams. Bitter sweet… Well done to the lads.
I agree shouldn’t of been a pen but the best team won..we had 1 shot on target..