Jarred Gillett will be Manchester City's referee for their trip to Swansea City in the EFL Cup.placeholder image
Jarred Gillett will be Manchester City's referee for their trip to Swansea City in the EFL Cup. | Getty Images
Manchester City are back in EFL Cup action at Championship side Swansea City on Wednesday
Manchester City will have the perfect chance to bounce back from defeat at Villa Park on Sunday when they travel to south Wales to face Championship outfit Swansea City (19:45 GMT).
Pep Guardiola’s Cityzens had enjoyed a rich vein of form until that was halted by Aston Villa, who kept Erling Haaland, unstoppable in recent months, at bay as the Norwegian crashed into a post for his efforts but saw a goal disallowed for offside in the final moments. Villa ultimately won 1-0 thanks to Matty Cash’s first-half strike, amidst the continued injury absence of the likes of Rodri.
City are just two points off second and have not had a poor start by any means, but the last-minute equaliser conceded at Arsenal in September is now looking all the more costly as the Gunners steal a four-point lead at the summit. The focus now shifts temporarily to the cup competitions, as City look to secure their place in the last eight of the EFL Cup. Surprisingly, City have not won any major cup competition since 2023 and will look to put that right this term.
Man City handed referee who once sparked David Moyes controversy
The EFL have announced the appointments for this week’s cup ties on their website. Jarred Gillett will be the referee in Swansea, with Adrian Holmes and Marc Perry as his assistants. The fourth official will be Josh Smith, while there is no VAR at this stage of the EFL Cup.
Gillett has officiated on many occasions in the top flight, and was involved in a memorable controversy involving current Everton manager David Moyes, then of West Ham United, who burst into the referee’s dressing room post-match to take aim at Gillett, who had been on VAR as the Hammers had a last-minute equaliser against Chelsea controversially disallowed following a review, Jarrod Bowen adjudged to have fouled Blues goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
While referee Andy Madley was on the end of much of Moyes’ wrath, it was Gillett’s VAR decision which led to what would become an infamous rant by Moyes that day. Guardiola will no doubt be hoping that Gillett, as the man in the middle on this occasion, does not cause similar controversy on Wednesday night.
Moyes’ anger after ‘unbelievable’ VAR decision cost his side
"You have seen it, it is a scandalous decision, absolutely rotten from one of the supposedly elite referees," Moyes fumed after the match.
"It doesn't say much about whoever sent him over from VAR as well - it is an unbelievable decision against us. We feel we got back to 2-2 and it was not down to anything we have done. I support a lot of the VAR stuff, I actually think the goalkeeper dives, he is faking an injury because he cannot get to the next one - he did the same on the first goal as well. The referee somehow gets that so wrong it is incredible."
With no VAR on hand on this occasion, Guardiola and City will be relying on Gillett not to spark similar controversy at Swansea, in a game the Cityzens will feel they must win against their Championship opponents.
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