To be fair, there would be only one winner if Sean Dyche’s war of words with Bernardo Silva actually descended into fisticuffs.
Dyche has accused the Manchester City midfielder of making a meal out of a challenge on Saturday which saw a penalty awarded to City in their 3-0 victory over Burnley.
Sergio Aguero drew level with Eric Brook as the top scorer in City’s history when he converted a first-half penalty which was given when Silva went to ground in the box after feeling contact from Clarets goalkeeper Nick Pope.
The result was a resounding one in the end, thanks to late goals from Nicolas Otamendi and Leroy Sane but Burnley boss Dyche remains frustrated about the manner in which his side conceded the opener as he felt that Silva dived to trick the referee into pointing to the spot.
“If I kicked my kid in the garden he wouldn’t fall like that,” Dyche said after the game. “They call it simulation – I don’t know why, because it’s cheating.
“It’s an art in itself to fall like that, with your hands in the air.”
City boss Pep Guardiola has leaped to the defence of his summer signing as he rubbished Dyche’s accusation.
#PEP: It was a penalty. I saw it.
He [Pope) touched the right foot of Bernardo.
— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 21, 2017
And Silva is adamant that he didn’t dive, maintaining that he was forced to the ground under contact from the onrushing stopper.
“He clearly touched me, I felt it. I haven’t seen the replay yet but I think it was a penalty,” Silva said, via Manchester Evening News.
“As I said, he touched me and my ankle turned. It hurt a little bit and for me it was a penalty.”
