Guardiola furiously threw his scarf to the floor and shouted at fourth official Martin Atkinson after a decision had gone against his side; a foul on midfielder Fernandinho almost led to a Liverpool equaliser. This is the 47 year old's first warning from the football association regarding his conduct on the sidelines. According to FA rules, if any manager receives four warnings of this nature, they automatically serve a touchline ban.
Alas, Thursday's proceedings ended well for the Manchester City boss, as his side ran out 2-1 winners over league leaders Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium, to cut the gap at the summit of the table to four points. City's title defence will now be put on the back burner, as they turn their attentions to other domestic duties; an FA Cup third round tie with Rotherham, and a two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final with Burton Albion.
January 3, 2019