Pep Guardiola launches stinging tirade against VAR after Antoine Semenyo's disallowed goal for Man City in FA Cup clash with Newcastle - revealing bitterness over 2025 final defeat

City took a significant stride towards Wembley on Tuesday night, overcoming the defending champions Newcastle United 2-0 at St James’ Park in the first leg of their semi-final tie. However, the result was almost secondary to the post-match fireworks provided by Guardiola. The City boss used his press conference to unleash a stinging critique of the Video Assistant Referee system, specifically focusing on a laborious six-minute review that ruled out a strike from new signing Semenyo. The incident served as a catalyst for Guardiola to air a laundry list of historical grievances, painting a picture of a manager who feels his side is consistently held to a different standard than their rivals.

While Semenyo had already found the net once to silence the Geordie crowd, his celebrations for a brace were cut short by an agonisingly long check for a marginal offside. For Guardiola, the length of the delay and the ambiguity of the "lines" used by the officials were evidence of a system in disarray.

The flashpoint arrived in the second half when Semenyo appeared to have doubled his tally and killed off the tie. The forward wheeled away in celebration, only for the game to be halted for nearly six minutes as the VAR team at Stockley Park deliberated over the offside lines. When the goal was eventually chalked off, the decision did little to quell the confusion inside the stadium or in the dugout.

Guardiola was visibly agitated on the touchline, and his frustration boiled over in the media room. "Today four people were not able to decide because the line was, I don't know," Guardiola fumed. He contrasted the forensic scrutiny applied to City’s goals with the perceived leniency shown to opponents, specifically referencing Newcastle's goals in previous encounters. "The second goal that Newcastle scored [previously], the line was perfect. I'm not suspicious of that in 10 years."

The City manager went on to issue a direct challenge to the head of referees, stating he expects a visit from Howard Webb to clarify the process. "I'm pretty sure Howard Webb is going to come in tomorrow to give an explanation of that," he said.

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The disallowed goal seemed to act as a trigger for Guardiola, unlocking a vault of frustration regarding officiating decisions at St James' Park. He cast his mind back to November’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at the same venue, a match defined by a controversial non-penalty. On that occasion, Phil Foden appeared to be fouled by Fabian Schar late in the game, but neither the on-field referee nor VAR intervened.

"I will say it now, I would like to know why VAR in the Premier League game at Newcastle when we lost 2-1, it was an insane penalty on Schar for Phil Foden and not even a consideration," Guardiola said. His anger was vindicated by the fact that the Key Match Incidents Panel subsequently ruled that a mistake had been made in not awarding the spot-kick. 

For Guardiola, the inconsistency is maddening: a six-minute forensic search to disallow a City goal versus a swift dismissal of a clear foul on a City player. "I didn't say anything when we lost 2-1 here," he reminded the press, suggesting his patience had finally snapped.

Perhaps most surprisingly, Guardiola’s rant extended beyond Newcastle to revisit the pain of the 2025 FA Cup final. In that match, which saw Crystal Palace lift the trophy, City felt aggrieved by a decision involving goalkeeper Dean Henderson. The England shot-stopper appeared to handle the ball outside the area to deny Erling Haaland a goalscoring opportunity - a red card offence - but escaped punishment.

"I didn't say anything in the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace when it was a red card after 30 minutes for Henderson," Guardiola recalled. "Did I say anything? No. It's OK. It's fine.

"In 10 years when we lost semi-finals in big competitions, I didn't say anything. On the touchline, sometimes. But here [the news conference] nothing."

Despite the manager's grievances, City are firmly in the driver's seat ahead of the second leg. The 2-0 victory at a hostile St James' Park is a testament to their professionalism amidst the chaos. Semenyo, despite the disallowed goal, was a constant threat, and the team’s defensive resilience ensured they take a healthy advantage back to the Etihad Stadium.

The return leg is scheduled for February 4, where City will look to book their place in the final against either Chelsea or Arsenal.