After Manchester City lost to Arsenal in the Community Shield, Pep Guardiola was enraged by new stoppage time rules.
Arsenal prevailed 4-1 on penalties at Wembley after a deflected 111th-minute effort by Leandro Trossard denied City a 1-0 victory. Eight minutes of extra time had been added, but under new time-wasting regulations, referee Stuart Atwell granted 14 minutes when Kyle Walker and Thomas Partey needed treatment after a head clash.
Guardiola highlighted his displeasure with the new rules following the game, saying, “It is not annoying. We have to get used to it. I had the feeling, not because we were winning 1-0, it was just the fact I had a feeling that much didn’t happen to extend by eight minutes. But it is a good question for the international board [rule-making body, the International Football Association Board] and all the people because they don’t consult the managers, they don’t consult the players.
“What is their opinion? We have to accept it. Now the games will be 100 minutes, that’s for sure. It never happened today, and it was eight minutes. Imagine if they extend for goals and every time you score a goal in a game [that is] 4-3. You put 30 seconds, 45 seconds on for seven goals, tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. I am here playing.”
Unsurprisingly, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta saw the opposite side of the issue. “It’s about effective time,” he said. “I think it’s really good to do that, because it was going too far, I think, and now teams are going to have to think twice. Now we have to be prepared to play 100 minutes because it’s going to happen every single week.”
City seized the lead in the 77th minute thanks to Cole Palmer’s magnificent effort, and they didn’t look threatened again until Trossard’s stoppage-time shot deflected off Manuel Akanji.
Guardiola and his team would have liked to win, since City has now lost three straight Community Shields. They will take heart in the knowledge that they were crowned Premier League winners in the seasons following their two previous defeats.
