Manchester City may have demolished Shakhtar Donetsk 6-0 in their Champions League group stage match but that was hardly the talk of the town after the match.
Raheem Sterling was awarded a contentious penalty against Shakhtar and even manager Pep Guardiola admitted after the match that the VAR system would have helped to avoid the incorrect decision by referee Viktor Kassai.
Replays confirmed Sterling tripped on his own and fell down, as the referee pointed to the spot. The penalty was promptly converted by City striker Gabriel Jesus.
Sterling apologised to referee Kassai afterwards, stating that it wasn’t intentional on his part to dive and win the penalty. “I went to chip the ball and don’t know what happened,” said the England international. “I didn’t feel contact. I scuffed the ball, apologies to the ref.”
The former Liverpool man has been in the news recently, with City set to double his wages, making Sterling the highest-paid English player. City themselves have not garnered favourable media coverage in the past week, accused of flouting Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations as part of revelations by Football Leaks.
Twitter didn’t take too kindly to the penalty and had plenty to say and show for it.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!