Sadiki went into yesterday’s game at the Etihad on four bookings for the season, meaning he would have picked up an automatic suspension that would have ruled him out of next Sunday’s Wear-Tyne derby against Newcastle United had he received a yellow card.
The midfielder committed a couple of minor fouls over the course of the game, but had remained out of referee Andrew Madley’s notebook when Regis Le Bris decided to take him off along with Granit Xhaka, who was in exactly the same situation, in the 72nd minute of the game with his side 3-0 already 3-0 down.
“I wanted to finish the game,” said Sadiki, who will line up against Newcastle next weekend before heading to the Africa Cup of Nations to represent Morocco. “But it is the coach’s decision.
“I haven’t been thinking about the suspension, I've just been playing my game and if it comes, it comes.”
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Sunderland suffered their heaviest defeat of the season against City, with Sadiki admitting the Black Cats were beaten by better opponents.
The Wearsiders went toe-to-toe with Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday night, drawing 1-1, but Sadiki felt they paid City’s players too much respect at the Etihad.
“It was a big challenge,” he said. “I think it’s [Man City] one of the best teams in the league right now.
“It’s really disappointing to lose like this because I don’t think we played our game, we respected them a little too much.
“It’s a good lesson for us to take into our next games. I don't think we came into the game with any fear, but if you can’t play your game against a team like this, you’re never going to win.
“Even if it’s not going well, you just have to keep trying and trying again. I think in the second half, we reacted much better than in the first. I think we had some chances at 2-0, but the big teams punish you and that’s what happened to us.”