Pep Guardiola clashed with Newcastle players Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes in tetchy scenes on the pitch after Manchester City were beaten 2-1 at St James’ Park

Pep Guardiola had a heated conversation with Bruno Guimaraes at full-time(Image: Sky Sports)

Pep Guardiola appeared to be on the warpath after Manchester City were beaten 2-1 by Newcastle. Harvey Barnes’ second-half brace secured the three points for the home side after an incident-packed match at St James’ Park – and the action continued after the final whistle.

Barnes put the Magpies ahead with a precise finish from the edge of the box before Ruben Dias’ deflected effort put City level five minutes later. Gianluigi Donnarumma kept City in the game, but he was powerless to stop Barnes’ winner from close range.

The winning goal took a long time to be confirmed by VAR due to a tight offside call that went in Newcastle’s favour, with Dias ruled to be playing Bruno Guimaraes onside from Nick Woltemade’s header. City protested with referee Sam Barrott, appearing to claim that Donnarumma had been fouled, but the goal was allowed to stand after a lengthy check.

Guardiola’s frustrations at the dropped points – which Arsenal could capitalise on when they play Tottenham on Sunday – spilled over after the final whistle. The City boss shook hands with Eddie Howe before venturing onto the pitch, where he clashed with Joelinton, who had to be led away by his teammates and coaching staff, and Guimaraes.

The City manager had a long and intense chat with the Newcastle captain, which didn’t appear to be amicable. He also approach Barrott and appeared to berate a camera operator.

Asked by Sky Sports what he spoke to Guimaraes about, Guardiola refused to be drawn: “I said how good he is, and [asked about] the situation with Gigio and what happened, and the previous situations. Everything is fine.”

And pressed on what he said to Barrott, he replied: “No, nothing, nothing. Everything is fine… Everything is fine. It is what it is…”

Pep Guardiola confronted a cameraman at St James’ Park(Image: Ed Sykes/Getty Images)

Guardiola did elaborate on his general grievance that Donnarumma may have been fouled for Barnes’ second decisive goal. “It happened against Bournemouth, it happened again… Gigio saw the action, I didn’t see it,” he said.

“But I rely a lot on my players, so I didn’t see it. I didn’t see it. Otherwise, if he didn’t feel touched. But VAR and the referees decided the opposite in the first-half, in the second-half. So it is what it is. We are used to it…”

Defeat comes after City’s stunning 3-0 win over Liverpool before the international break and leaves them third in the Premier League, four points behind Arsenal, who can go seven clear by beating Spurs on Sunday in the derby.

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