BAN CITY! PEP'S REF JUSTICE

WHY GUARDIOLA'S NOT HOLDING BACK ON TOUCHLINE

- By SIMON BAJKOWSKI

WHAT is Pep Guardiola trying to achieve on the touchline in going out of his way to irk the officials?

And what does it mean for City for both this season and beyond?

In the middle of an excellent performance from his players in the FA Cup at Newcastle, Guardiola appeared to have one of his strangest days in the office. He may never be a man to hide his frustrations, yet he went above and beyond his normal behaviour with referees before and after he picked up a yellow card.

Whether it was clenching his fists as he squared up to the fourth official, shouting how sorry he was (for his team being so good) when Omar Marmoush smashed in City's third or having to be dragged away from the referee and linesman by his security guard at full-time, this was the most volatile Guardiola has been all season. A yellow has earned him a two-game ban after his sixth of the season, yet it could easily have been red.

There were specific circumstances to partly explain the level of rage. Guardiola is still angry about three decisions made by referee Sam Barrott and his team in the 2-1 Premier League defeat at St James' Park in November - a result that, reversed, would have the title race in City's destiny.