Manchester City’s players – led by Erling Haaland – were raging after referee Simon Hooper blew up for a foul on Haaland while Jack Grealish was through on goal.
The incident came in stoppage time at the end of a pulsating 3-3 draw between Man City and Tottenham Hotspur, with the hosts looking to try and snatch a late winner at the Etihad.
There was no offside flag indicated, and despite allowing play to continue, Hooper instead chose to call the play back for a foul on the Norwegian in the centre of the park – despite the obvious opportunity presented to Grealish at the other end.
Haaland was front and centre in the protesting Man City, who surrounded Hooper after the call was made, despite Mail Sport’s Stop Abusing Referees ongoing campaign to see football officials treated with more respect.
Speaking on Sky Sports at the time of the incident, commentator Gary Neville said: ‘Oh no, oh no. Simon Hooper, he played on to start with, what’s he done there.
‘He did play the advantage that was real surprise, Haaland gets fouled and he lets that go a bit and then blows there. He see’s the pass, really strange one.’
Tottenham shocked the hosts with an early goal through Son Heung-min, but Manchester City took a 2-1 lead into the break with a Son own goal and a strike by Phil Foden.
Giovani Lo Celso pulled the scores level in the 69th minute, before Grealish regained Man City’s lead ten minutes from time.
Dejan Kulusevski equalised for Spurs in the last minute of normal time at the Etihad, before the late drama including the referee blowing up at a bad time for the hosts.
