Manchester City
Rodri Escalates Criticism of Officials After City’s 2-2 Draw With Tottenham
Rodri criticised decisions after City’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham insisting officials must be neutral.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri publicly challenged the officials after Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham, insisting that a key moment should have been reviewed and that repeated decisions have left his side disadvantaged. Speaking to Stan Sport after the match, Rodri described his frustration plainly. “I don’t know how to feel, honestly,” he said, before returning repeatedly to one incident he believes changed the game.
“Now I see the images—on the pitch, of course you cannot see—it’s a clear foul.” He added that the opening goal should not have stood. “VAR is for a reason,” he said. “And these small details make the difference.
“We’re trying to do our best. It’s the first goal they score, maybe they don’t score a [second] goal, we win the game.” Rodri insisted he was not usually outspoken about match officials. “And honestly, I never speak about referees,” he said. “I respect their job massively, but they have to pay attention to these things. He kicked the leg, it’s so clear. It’s so clear, he anticipated the leg of Marc. And it’s a clear foul. But it’s not today, it’s just two, three games in a row. And I don’t know why, honestly.
“I know we won too much, and the people just don’t want us to win. But the referee has to be neutral. And for me, honestly, it’s not fair. It’s not fair, because we worked so hard in these situations.” He later summarised the feeling as he sees it: “It’s one game, and another game and another game,” he said. “And it’s not possible.”
Manager Pep Guardiola avoided detailed criticism but could not entirely leave the point. When pressed, he asked: “If it’s a central defender to a striker it’s a penalty, right? You said the same, so you saw it.” He described the matter as “an emotional issue” and called it “fascinating in the Premier League.”
Tottenham manager Thomas Frank accepted there was contact. “There’s clear contact from him [Solanke] on it,” he said. “We want, in general, a higher threshold [for fouls]. I understand it’s in the grey area.”
Guardiola had earlier protested after Antoine Semenyo’s second goal was ruled out for a narrow offside against Newcastle United in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final and referenced an overlooked penalty on Phil Foden and Dean Henderson’s handball for Crystal Palace in last summer’s FA Cup final.
Manchester City
Guardiola maintains faith as Manchester City contest 115 Premier League charges
Guardiola says he trusts Manchester City will be cleared as the Premier League case continues still
Pep Guardiola reiterated his confidence that Manchester City will be exonerated as the club continues to contest a lengthy Premier League case. City have consistently denied the allegations, and Guardiola says he has backed his employers throughout the process, including in his final game against Aston Villa on Sunday.
“I trust them,” Guardiola stressed before the game. He expanded on that faith in public comments that sought to place the dispute in historical context: “Because I spoke with them and I trust how they behave and how they did. So what happened … there will be the resolution.”
Guardiola also reminded listeners of the personnel involved at the time the events under scrutiny occurred. “Nobody [from] the staff, the backroom staff or mainly the players and manager was here. So it’s a long, long time ago. And I trust them. I said before what happened and I said no.”
The allegations date back to an investigation that began in March 2019 after leaks of internal club emails. It took almost four years for the Premier League to bring formal charges, and when they did the list ran to 115 counts. Those include 35 separate accusations of failing to comply with the investigation.
City have publicly denied any wrongdoing and have defended themselves in court. A verdict had at one point been expected before the end of last season, but the complexity of the case has delayed a conclusion.
Because the matter remains active in the legal arena, public commentary from those involved has been limited. Requests for a timetable have been met with little detail from the Premier League. CEO Richard Masters has repeatedly declined to comment on what he described as an ongoing case.
For now Guardiola’s message is straightforward: he has placed his trust in the club’s account and expects a resolution to follow.
Arsenal
Six narratives to follow on Premier League final day
Final day focused on title celebration, relegation drama farewells and Bruno Fernandes’ assist chase
The Premier League reaches its final day with several distinct threads still to be resolved. Arsenal travel to Selhurst Park to conclude an historic campaign, and how their players respond to Tuesday night’s extended title celebrations will be obvious from the first whistle. Selection changes are expected and could produce either a lively goal fest or a subdued end to the season. The trophy will be presented after the final whistle, with skipper Martin Ødegaard first to lay hands on the prize. Twenty-two years of anguish banished to the history books.
Tottenham face a far more fraught finish. Despite sitting in the driving seat for survival, Spurs remain uncertain of their safety. West Ham are two points behind with a much worse goal difference, which leaves Tottenham realistically needing only a draw at home to Everton to secure their top-flight status. West Ham host Leeds United knowing their destiny is out of their hands, while Tottenham must arrest the inconsistency that has defined their campaign.
Chelsea can still affect their European destination with a trip to Sunderland. With incoming manager Xabi Alonso watching, the Blues can secure continental football next season, whether via the Europa League or the Conference League, the latter having been won by the Blues in 2024–25. Victory at the Stadium of Light would give them a decent chance of making the Europa League, but they will require a favour from Manchester United at Brighton & Hove Albion. A draw makes progression trickier and defeat could prove fatal to their hopes.
Manchester City’s finale at the Etihad against Aston Villa marks the end of an era. Pep Guardiola will oversee his final game as Man City boss at home, and club icons John Stones and Bernardo Silva will also be saying their goodbyes. Guardiola and his players will be determined to finish with a fitting result.
Liverpool will bid farewell to Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson after nine-year spells at Anfield. A win or draw at home to Brentford will guarantee Champions League qualification; a defeat is unlikely to drop them out of the top five given Bournemouth’s need for a seven-goal swing to overtake sixth.
Manchester United travel to Brighton with nothing riding on the result except Bruno Fernandes’ individual chase. “The Portuguese playmaker, who was named Premier League Player of the Season on Saturday, is hunting down the division’s assist record. Having tied with Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry last time out, one more assist on the south coast will take his tally to an unprecedented 21 for the season.”
Manchester City
What Manchester City Might Lose After Guardiola’s Departure
Guardiola’s exit sparks potential Manchester City departures from goalkeepers to midfield and attack.
Pep Guardiola’s exit closes a defining decade at Manchester City and arrives alongside other significant departures, including John Stones and Bernardo Silva. Their exits leave the club at a crossroads and raise questions about a wider squad reshuffle this summer.
James Trafford is an immediate candidate to seek another move. A City academy graduate, Trafford returned after an impressive spell at Burnley to challenge for the starting role vacated after Ederson. The arrival of Gianluigi Donnarumma relegated Trafford to backup duties and restricted him to domestic cup appearances, both of which he won. With ambitions to usurp Jordan Pickford as England’s No. 1, Trafford may need regular minutes elsewhere.
At the back, Stones’ departure reduces an influential presence, but City are well stocked at centre back. Winter signing Marc Guéhi joins Rúben Dias, Joško Gvardiol and Abdukodir Khusanov, a depth that could make Nathan Aké expendable. Aké’s fitness struggles and an expiring contract in 2027 make a summer sale a logical option.
Manuel Akanji will leave after Inter triggered a loan obligation following a Serie A triumph. Rico Lewis’s future is less certain. Once viewed as central to Guardiola’s plans, the versatile 21-year-old was largely overlooked in 2025–26. Lewis signed a five-year extension last summer but managed only three Premier League starts. Maresca will have to decide if Lewis fits long-term plans.
Midfield stability is also in question. The Ballon d’Or winner is reportedly eager to join Real Madrid and could push for a move, leaving City to confront the challenge of replacing a difficult-to-replace holding midfielder. Mateo Kovačić, who missed almost the entire season through injury, looks an easy sell with his contract running until 2027 and his 33rd birthday approaching next May. Kalvin Phillips will secure a permanent exit, ending a difficult spell and reducing the wage bill.
City will likely need reinforcements in midfield should several exits materialise; Enzo Fernández is mentioned as a possible solution.
Up front, a likely attacking quartet under Maresca would be Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo, Jérémy Doku and Rayan Cherki. That setup leaves fringe forwards like Omar Marmoush, signed 18 months ago, weighing whether sustained understudy duties justify a move, with links to a summer exit already circulating.
Great Teams That Fell: Premier League Relegations Reconsidered
Carrick sets out transfer task after earning permanent Manchester United role
