• FA Cup

Platt: City did not expect Aguero charge

ESPN staff
April 16, 2013
Aguero escapes FA Charge

Manchester City have said they expected that Sergio Aguero would escape an FA charge and a ban for his reckless lunge at David Luiz in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea.

Aguero scored City's second goal in their 2-1 win, but was later guilty of a high challenge on the Brazilian defender, who said he should apologise.

Referee Chris Foy did not even caution the Argentina striker but, because the officials saw the incident, the FA did not take retrospective action - which could have brought a three-match suspension.

"I wasn't surprised, based on the rules that the FA have put in place," said City first-team coach David Platt. "If the officials have seen it, and the precedent has been set, I wasn't surprised. The rules are the rules, we don't make them up. We just adhere to them."

Platt also denied that Aguero had been fortunate, saying: "I don't know whether it is a bit of luck. What is luck? I'm not sure really. The situation has gone. I am not surprised that he got off, because the officials saw it."

Former England captain Platt also explained manager Roberto Mancini's decision to use Costel Pantilimon, who had played in goal in all City's other FA Cup games, instead of Joe Hart.

"Your goalkeeper that backs up the No. 1 has a thankless task," Platt added. "He's always away at the hotels, he sits on the bench but when does he ever get on? When does he ever play a game?

"You could have situation where your No. 1 gets injured and your No. 2 has to come in to big, big games, so it is important he plays in big games so he is ready for that.

"What Robbie [Mancini] has thought is: 'I'll allocate the cup competitions to that goalkeeper.' When you get to a semi-final, there becomes this undercurrent or clamour to change your goalkeeper, but I think that would have been unfair to Costel had we changed.

"I think he has done exceptionally well, and has done nothing wrong."

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