Pep Guardiola was ordered to calm down by the referee yesterday after getting carried away while celebrating Manchester City’s last-gasp victory against Southampton.
The Saints looked to have nicked a point at the Etihad as the clock ticked into the sixth minute of stoppage time - but then up popped Raheem Sterling with his 13th goal of the season to give City a 2-1 win.
“Raheem is a match winner, it was a fantastic goal, I am so happy for him,” declared Guardiola following the club-record 12th successive Premier League victory. “I think his teammates give him the confidence and say, ‘We trust in you’, but then you have to have the personality to do what he did in the last minute.”
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The win restored City’s eight-point advantage over second-place Manchester United - sparking a frenzied celebration by the team’s manager that earned him a rebuke from ref Paul Tierney.
“I apologised, I could not control it,” Guardiola told reporters. “I was so happy like all the fans and all the players. I wanted to run behind ‘Ras’, but I am not fast enough.”
Guardiola wasn’t the only manager to incur Tierney’s wrath last night. Chelsea boss Antonio Conte was dismissed from the dugout by Neil Swarbrick as his side edged out Swansea 1-0 in a tense affair at Stamford Bridge.
Conte was given his marching orders just before half-time after protesting about his side not being given a corner.
He watched the second-half from the stand, where his temper improved on 55 minutes when Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger broke the stalemate with what turned out to be the only goal of the game. “I apologise,” said Conte when asked afterwards about his dismissal. “I was frustrated. For sure, I made a mistake.”
The win leaves Chelsea third, eleven points behind City, and one more than Arsenal, who thrashed Huddersfield 5-0 at the Emirates. The Gunners were one up after three minutes, but it wasn’t until the second-half that they went to town, scoring three goals in five minutes, with Mesut Ozil orchestrating the rampage.
The German midfielder even grabbed one for himself and was later lavished with praise by Arsene Wenger. “Everybody knows he’s a great football player, but at the moment as well he shows he can fight,” said the Arsenal manager. “When you look at the percentage of possession during a game, no matter what the game is, he always wants the ball. He never hides, he’s always available.”
The only downside for Arsenal was a groin injury suffered by Alexandre Lacazette that Wenger said could leave him “out for a while”.
The Frenchman scored the opening goal but was replaced at half-time by compatriot Olivier Giroud. On the plus side, Giroud scored twice in the second period and is likely to start Saturday’s crucial encounter against Manchester United.
Liverpool remain in fifth spot, and two points behind Arsenal, after their 3-0 win at Stoke, while Burnley’s 2-1 victory at Bournemouth moves them above Tottenham into sixth spot.
Hat-trick hero Wayne Rooney scored a wonder goal as Everton thrashed West Ham 4-0 at Goodison.
Last night’s Premier League results
- Arsenal 5 Huddersfield Town 0
- AFC Bournemouth 1 Burnley 2
- Chelsea 1 Swansea City 0
- Everton 4 West Ham United 0
- Manchester City 2 Southampton 1
- Stoke City 0 Liverpool 3
