There's a very clear difference in the way we are refereed, conscious or not.
It's like they know city are the better team so are more inclined to give things the other way to 'even it up'. I'm not sure how many fouls their right back or lallana needed to make to be booked, but it's sure more than any of our players would get away with.. one.
Another way it manifests is in 'keeping the game flowing', where it appears the referee feels city, as a possession based side who like to get on with the game, would prefer to play on even when nothing is on, and often resulting in a period of several minutes and passages of play, in which time any potential booking for the opponent is forgotten. Whereas against city teams are desperate for the respite so free kicks are more common than playing on, bringing it more to the referee's mind that he just stopped the game and needs to caution a specific city player.
The most frustrating one for me though is off the back if the above, and we saw it again plenty yesterday, where there is a clear difference in when and how long after the fact, play can be brought back. Offside for their penalty aside, this same perception that city want to get on with it means that Grealish or Foden could ride several challenges, usually increasingly dangerous and desperate, as they attempt to get into the box, before running into a corner and having to pass it back. The perception is that city are dangerous from anywhere and free flowing, so we're 'allowed' to start again from the back. Contrast that with a situation against us, like yesterday, when they broke and dias had to make a full stretch header to stop the ball reaching their free player. If he doesn't make it the player is almost one on one with Eddie. If he does, as he did, then it goes back for a foul two passes before the one dias intercepted.
