Pep Guardiola was absolutely livid with Yerry Mina's treatment of Erling Haaland in Manchester City's win over Everton and it now makes total sense.
City ran out comfortable 3-0 winners in what looked like a potential banana skin, with Haaland bagging his 36th Premier League goal of the season either side of a stunning Ilkay Gundogan brace.
It proved to be an easy contest for City going into their crunch Champions League semi-final second leg clash with Real Madrid on Wednesday.
But Haaland still had quite the physical battle on Merseyside, with Colombian defender Mina taking instructions to 'mark' the goal machine literally.
Haaland took his top off after the game and handed it to a fan in the away end and had scratches and bruises all over his body.
At one point Haaland went over to his manager and it was claimed that he was asking to be substituted - something which did then happen shortly after.
Advert
And after the game, Guardiola was seen animatedly remonstrating with the former Barcelona defender, who also appeared to be getting into it with Jack Grealish.
Then, in his post-match interview, the City boss fumed about Mina's behaviour on the pitch and the nasty tricks he pulls.
“It is not necessary what he [Mina] does - with everyone," he told Sky Sports.
Advert
“It’s a football game, it’s not necessary to do what he does every single game. I told him. He is a good enough player to avoid these things.
"He knows. Ask him. This is not physical, this is not mental.
“There are things that are not necessary to do that he does. This time with Aymeric, Jack, everybody. Ask him. Invite him to the press conference.”
It seems as though the football world are well aware of Mina's antics. City captain Gundogan has named him as his toughest opponent because of his knack for scratching and pinching.
Advert
"He’ll use his hands in a tackle, scratch or pinch your back when the referee isn’t looking. I’ve seen him do that once or twice", Gundogan said in March.
“He even smiles in your face in a friendly way, which makes him sympathetic in a funny way. I didn’t know how to pinch the back before.”
City, meanwhile, can win a third straight consecutive Premier League title next weekend after Arsenal were trounced 3-0 at home to Brighton.
Four points clear at the top, City host Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday - a day after Arsenal travel to Nottingham Forest.
Topics: Pep Guardiola, Ilkay Gundogan, Erling Haaland, Manchester City, Everton
Josh Lawless