Tottenham 2-2 Man City: Rodri facing ban after extraordinary referee rant and Premier League setback

Manchester City midfielder Rodri is at risk of receiving an FA charge and a potential suspension after suggesting that Premier League referees have an agenda against Pep Guardiola's side.

The 29-year-old played the vast majority of City’s frustrating 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, a game in which the Citizens let a two-goal first-half lead slip to throw away two points in North London.

In a post-match interview, Rodri vented his anger towards the officials after Dominic Solanke's first goal for Tottenham was allowed to stand.

Seven minutes into the second half, Spurs pulled a goal back when Solanke appeared to kick through the back of Marc Guehi's leg which forced the ball to trickle over the line.

Solanke then scored a somewhat fortunate scorpion kick on the 70-minute mark to restore parity, and Man City had no response as they had to settle for a draw, subsequently slipping six points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal and denting their title hopes.

Rodri: ‘The referee has to be neutral... it’s not fair’

Man City believe that they have ahead a number of VAR decisions go against them in recent matches against Newcastle United, Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Guardiola making his feelings clear in recent post-match conversations with the media.

Rodri is the latest Citizens name to hit out at the officials and has insisted that they 'have to be neutral' after questioning whether referees are being fair.

"I know we won too much and the people don’t want us to win, but the referee has to be neutral. And for me, honestly, it's not fair,” Rodri told reporters. “It's not fair because we work so hard in these situations, and now to make these decisions, we have to move on.

“Of course you need to come back, but at the end, when everything is finished, we are frustrated because it's so clear, the foul. [Solanke] kicked the leg, and of course with the push of the action on the ball, the ball goes in.

“We have to pay attention to these little things, otherwise it's going to be difficult for everyone because this league is like this. It's about small details and everything counts, so I think this is a very tough day for us in this sense.

"Honestly, I never speak about referees. I respect their job massively, but they have to pay attention to these things. He's kicked the leg. It's so clear."

Will Rodri receive FA ban after criticising match officials?

Because Rodri has questioned the integrity of match officials, the Football Association are now expected to review his comments and come to a decision over a potential ban for the Man City star.

Should the FA choose to charge Rodri, he would be given three days to reply with a Regulatory Commission hearing taking place within a further ten days.

A two-game suspension would typically be imposed for such an offence, with one of those matches suspended, while a fine could also been given.

In addition, FA Rule E3.1 states: “A participant shall at all times act in the best interests of the game and not act in any manner which is improper or brings the game into disrepute or use any one, or a combination of violent conduct, serious foul play, threatening, abusive, indecent or insulting words or behaviour.”

However, there are no fixed sanctions for breaching Rule E3.1, meaning any punishment for Rodri would be at the commission’s discretion.

Man City will face Newcastle United at the Etihad Stadium in the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final on Wednesday, before travelling to Liverpool for their next Premier League game on Sunday.