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“There’s no way referees are intentionally against Wolves”- Gary O’Neil expressed in frustration after the CONTROVERSIAL 2-1 defeat to Manchester City. He CRITICIZED what he perceived as a “SUBCONSCIOUS ” bias following John Stones’ last-minute goal, which was confirmed after a VAR review.
**WOLVERHAMPTON, Oct 21** — Manchester City secured a controversial 2-1 victory against Wolves yesterday, with John Stones scoring a last-minute goal that was validated after a VAR review. This decision prompted accusations of “subconscious” bias from a frustrated Wolves manager, Gary O’Neil.
City found themselves trailing early on after Jorgen Strand Larsen scored a surprise opener for Wolves. However, Josko Gvardiol equalized before halftime, and in a dramatic finish, Stones headed in the winner deep into stoppage time, marking City’s sixth win in their last eight league matches.
Wolves, sitting at the bottom of the table, argued that Stones’ goal should have been ruled offside due to interference from Bernardo Silva with goalkeeper Jose Sa. Nonetheless, referee Chris Kavanagh upheld the goal after consulting the pitchside monitor.
O’Neil expressed his frustration, stating: “There’s no way people are intentionally against Wolves. But is there a subconscious bias in decision-making? Are you more likely to favor Manchester City over Wolves? A last-minute winner for City is significant. I might be off base, but if I had to upset someone, I’d pick the little guy over the big guy.”
Guardiola responded: “I didn’t understand the decision. I don’t know why the linesman called it, but Bernardo wasn’t interfering. Sa had a clear view, and John Stones’ header was magnificent.”
With this win, City remains in second place, just one point behind Liverpool, who beat Chelsea 2-1 later on Sunday. In their pursuit of a fifth consecutive English title, City has set a club record with an unbeaten league streak of 31 games since their loss to Aston Villa last December.
Only six teams in English top-flight history have gone more than 30 matches without a loss, the most recent being Liverpool’s 44-game run from 2019 to 2020. Guardiola remarked, “We’re not used to winning games at the end like Liverpool often did under Jurgen Klopp, so this feels good for us.”
City faced an early shock when Nelson Semedo’s precise cross found Strand Larsen, who scored from close range. City quickly sought to respond, with Ilkay Gundogan’s dummy creating space for Silva, whose shot was saved by Sa.
Despite being unusually vulnerable in defense, City almost conceded again when Semedo exploited a gap but was denied by Ederson.
City equalized in the 33rd minute when Gvardiol fired a brilliant curling shot into the top corner, marking his fifth goal in seven away league games.
Erling Haaland, who had scored eight goals in his previous four encounters with Wolves, was less impactful this time, missing a clear chance just after halftime.
As City pressed for the winner, Gundogan’s free-kick went wide, and Jack Grealish’s shot was saved by Sa. Finally, Stones headed in from a corner, with Silva blocking Sa’s view before ducking to allow the ball to go past him.
Initially ruled out, the goal was confirmed after VAR directed Kavanagh to review the play, leading to jubilant celebrations from Guardiola and his players. — AFP
