Tackling a problem again for Cardiff against Manchester City. This time, unlike January’s tempestuous FA Cup meeting, it was a distinct lack of them.
Eight months ago the Welsh capital was ablaze after a row surrounding crude challenges but here it was all a bit damp, even after Neil Warnock’s inflammatory comments about Pep Guardiola on Friday. Cardiff stood off, watching the champions slowly play their way back into some sort of form. There you go: have 81 per cent of the ball.
They were under Guardiola’s skin last season and his side had appeared tentative until realising this was not anywhere close to a similar battle. Only when already three goals down did Warnock witness something resembling rough, a high and late lunge by Joe Ralls on Ilkay Gundogan prompting calls for red to be brandished. Ralls caught the midfielder’s shin after the ball went.








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