Elling Holland (Manchester City) and Giovani Lo Celso (Tottenham) almost got into a scuffle on the pitch. It was only broken up by City manager Pep Guardiola.
City and Tottenham played to a 3-3 draw in the 14th round of the 2023-24 English Premier League (EPL) at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, on Thursday (April 4).
Holland, who started the game as City's frontline striker, was furious just before the end of the match. He was unhappy with the referee's call, and he didn't let it go after the game, posting profanity on social media.
The moment that set Holland off came in late stoppage time with the score tied at 3-3. City were on the counter-attack, and as Holland received the ball near the halfway line with his back to the Tottenham goal, he was tackled by Emerson Royal. Holland was staggered and fell to the ground, but got right back up and played a penetrating pass to Jack Grealish, who was breaking forward.
The ball landed squarely at the feet of Gralish, who was sprinting forward, but the referee stopped play. He decided that Emerson's tackle on Holland was a foul. If the play had been allowed to continue, it would have been clear that Grealish had a one-on-one chance with the goalkeeper. However, the referee's decision was questionable, and the City players were furious, especially Holland, who was shown a yellow card for arguing with the referee. 카지노사이트777
Holland and the City players protesting the referee.
Even after the final whistle blew, the anger didn't subside. "Holland clashed shoulders with Lo Celso and Guardiola had to rush over to prevent the situation from getting worse," according to British outlet Sports Bible. Multiple outlets highlighted Holland's post-match anger.
Holland stormed off the field in a fit of rage and collided with Lo Celso. Lo Celso glared at Holland, who took a few steps and turned around. Sparks flew. The hulking Holan squared his shoulders and hobbled away. Lo Celso strode toward him.
A spark. Guardiola and others around Holan and Lo Celso realized what was happening and pulled them apart, ending what could have been a much worse situation.
The general consensus is that Holland had every right to be angry. Manchester United legend Roy Keane criticized the decision, telling Sky Sports, "The referee made a mistake. It was a bad call," he said on Sky Sports.