Pep Guardiola will not be happy with Newcastle United v Manchester City decision after bizarre VAR tirade
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Newcastle United latest news: The FA have revealed who will referee Newcastle United v Manchester City.
The FA have confirmed that Sam Barrott will referee the FA Cup Fifth Round match between Newcastle United and Manchester City on Saturday night.
The meeting between United and City on Saturday will be the fifth time that Guardiola and Howe’s sides have faced each other this season and the second time that Barrott will be in charge of proceedings. The Yorkshire whistler was also the man in the middle for the first meeting between the sides back in November - one that Newcastle United triumphed 2-1 in after a brace from Harvey Barnes.
On that day, though, City were aggrieved that two penalty shouts for a handball and then a tackle by Fabian Schar on Phil Foden were turned down by Barrott on the pitch and then subsequently not overturned by VAR.
This weekend, Barrott will be assisted by Timothy Wood and Simon Bennett at St James’ Park with Lewis Smith acting as fourth official. Unlike their previous match in this competition which was riddled with refereeing errors, VAR will be in operation on Saturday. John Brooks will be in charge of that at Stockley Park and he will be assisted by Gary Beswick.
Pep Guardiola’s Newcastle United v Man City VAR rant
Howe and Guardiola’s sides have been well acquainted this season and there have been a fair amount of controversial incidents to date in their meetings. Most of those incidents have occurred at St James’ Park with the biggest of those coming after Antoine Semenyo had a goal disallowed for offside in their Carabao Cup meeting on Tyneside in January.
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Post-match, an irate Guardiola gave his view on that decision, referencing two incidents in their Premier League meeting a few months prior during a tirade against the technology: “I say now I’d like to know why VAR in the 60th minute of the Premier League game against Newcastle, that we lost 2-1, it was 0-0 and it was a penalty for [Fabian] Schar on Phil Foden, not even consideration. In the 20th minute there is an unbelievable penalty for the shot for Jeremy Doku off the hand, and not even VAR.
“Today, four people were not able to decide because the line was, I don’t know, but the second goal Newcastle scored [in November] the line was perfect. I’m not suspicious of that in 10 years.
“I didn’t say anything when we lost 2-1 here. I didn’t say anything in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace - it is a red card after 30 or 40 minutes for [Dean] Henderson. Okay, it’s fine, but the fact we didn’t say. I’m pretty sure Howard Webb is going to call me tomorrow to make explanations for that."
Guardiola would go on to add: “When you play semi-finals or finals and win 0-1, 0-0, 0-2, 1-1, because after 0-1 with five minutes they can equalise and after that it’s more difficult. I’m zero suspicious.
“In ten years when we lost semi-finals in big competitions, in the league here [in November], I didn’t say anything. On the touchline sometimes.
“But come on, in the same stadium, what happened? VAR’s intervened ‘take a look, take a look’ – in the 60th minute, 20th minute, take a look at the two penalties.”