After the match at St. James' Park on the evening of 22/11, Guardiola engaged in a tense exchange with Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes.

The Spanish coach then approached referee Sam Barrott, pressing his hand against the official's chest while questioning him and his assistant. With a tense expression, he also pushed a cameraman working on the field.

Coach Pep Guardiola speaks with Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes for about 30 seconds after the match at St. James' Park on 22/11. Photo: ESPN

The match itself was fraught with controversial incidents. In the first half, Manchester City appealed for a penalty after Phil Foden was subjected to an aggressive tackle by Fabian Schar.

Furthermore, Harvey Barnes' decisive goal also sparked debate, with questions raised over a potential foul on Gianluigi Donnarumma and a possible offside by Guimaraes in the build-up. Despite these concerns, VAR and the referee upheld the goal, leaving Manchester City without points.

At the post-match press conference, Guardiola remained evasive when questioned about his exchange with the referee. "No questions, everything is fine", he stated concisely.

The 54-year-old coach also dismissed the argument with Guimaraes. He praised the Argentine midfielder's skill, but maintained it was a private matter and reiterated that everything was fine.

Coach Pep Guardiola argues with a cameraman on the field at St. James' Park. Photo: Everything Soccer

Guardiola later implied that the referee's decision to allow Newcastle's winning goal was unfair to Manchester City. "That happened before against Bournemouth, and now it's happening again", he remarked. "Donnarumma saw the situation; I didn't, and I trust my players. If he hadn't felt fouled, things would be different. However, VAR and the referee decided otherwise. We are accustomed to it".

The match was ultimately decided within 6 minutes, between the 63rd and 70th mark. Harvey Barnes emerged as the hero, scoring a brace for Newcastle, with Ruben Dias' equalizer sandwiched in between.

Despite his disappointment, Guardiola commended his players' efforts. "We gave our all", he stated. "We aim to improve as we have in recent months, but this is not an easy venue after an international break. The match was balanced; Donnarumma performed excellently. We missed numerous opportunities and conceded in the second half. Both teams had chances, but the outcome was not what we hoped for".

This defeat risks Manchester City falling 7 points behind league leaders Arsenal if the "Gunners" secure a victory against Tottenham in today's late match. Guardiola's squad will next host Leverkusen at home in the Champions League on the evening of 25/11, followed by a match against visiting Leeds in Premier League matchday 13 4 days later.

By Hong Duy (Source: Daily Mail, Mancity.com)