Pep Guardiola was not convinced Sadio Mane deserved to be sent-off in an incident that shaped Manchester City's 5-0 beating of Liverpool on Saturday.
Mane was dismissed by referee Jonathan Moss after 37 minutes at the Etihad Stadium following a high boot into the face of City goalkeeper Ederson, after Sergio Aguero had put the hosts ahead.
The Liverpool forward's challenge did not appear intentional, though Ederson had to be taken off on a stretcher and treated at City's medical facility.
Guardiola confirmed that Ederson did not suffer a serious injury, and acknowledged he was unsure if Mane's challenge was worthy of a straight red card.
"The game was open until the sending-off. Ederson is brave, the doctor says there is nothing broken. He also saved us in the first half from Mohamed Salah," Guardiola told Sky Sports.
"Mane didn't see him, he was looking at the ball but the impact was huge. I don't know if it was a red card.
"I was pretty sure the red card for Kyle Walker [against Everton] was not either, though.
"But I didn't speak about the decision against Everton so I will not speak about the decision now.
"It was one game at 11v11, it was equal, we both had chances, but the game was equal. Liverpool are so quick and fast.
"At 10v11 it was a little bit easier for us, and we played the second half the way we wanted to. They didn't do well."
Mio loco es aqui !!! Tudo bom September 9, 2017
Meanwhile, Kevin De Bruyne - who starred for City as they ran riot against Jurgen Klopp's depleted side - believes that Ederson's injury may have played a part in the referee's thinking.
"After the first goal we took a bit of control, and then unfortunately the [red card] happened," the Belgium playmaker told Sky Sports.
"It's not a bad foul but with the way Ederson comes out of it, if he doesn't have that injury it's probably not a red card, it's a yellow."
