- Peter Bankes will referee the Carabao Cup final
- The official has been at the forefront of some controversial decisions this season
- Bankes oversaw a chaotic match between Man City and Leeds last month.
Manchester City’s weekend clash with Arsenal will be refereed by Peter Bankes, who was at the centre of controversy when Pep Guardiola’s team defeated Leeds United at Elland Road.
Refereeing decisions can change the course of a game and this was the case earlier in the week for Manchester City.
Bernardo Silva was given a straight red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, when he elbowed the ball on his own goal-line against Real Madrid.
This incident made it tought for Man City to get back into the tie and in the end they ended up losing the individual fixture as well.
Pep Guardiola will be hoping his players do not repeat such mistakes, or else Arsenal will very much be in favour during the finale of the League Cup.
Peter Bankes will call the shots during the Carabao Cup final
The EFL have announced their officiating team for this Sunday’s Carabao Cup final and Peter Bankes is the man with the whistle.
Bankes refereed Man City’s match with Leeds at the end of February, which ended in him sending off Daniel Farke.
There were a few decisions during the match which frustrated the German manager, which included no more than six minutes of stoppage time being given.
Farke also felt the hosts should have been awarded a penalty for a handball offence, while in a separate incident, Rayan Cherki was not penalised for a light stamp on Ilia Gruev.
Man City have to maintain their discipline
Bankes may have ruled in Man City’s favour against Leeds, but he also controversially disallowed Randal Kolo Munai’s goal in the North London derby.
The referee will not have any personal bias, but he has been known to make decisions which cause chaotic reactions.
It is important for Man City to keep their heads and be careful not to make errors in judegment, as these could be very costly.
While City barely had a prayer in the Champions League anyway, they very much have a chance to win the Carabao Cup. However, this is only possible with excellent discipline and precice care.
