The manager was left fuming over the "pathetic law" that allowed Bernardo Silva to open the scoring on Wednesday
Aston Villa head coach Dean Smith has slammed the "farcical" decision that led to Manchester City's winning goal in Wednesday's Premier League match at Etihad Stadium.
With 10 minutes remaining in a scoreless encounter, Rodri came back from an offside position to dispossess Tyrone Mings and feed the ball to Bernardo Silva.
Silva did not need a second invitation and slammed home City's winner from the top of the box in an eventual 2-0 victory for Pep Guardiola's side.
Speaking to BT Sport after the game, Smith was fuming after Rodri was not called offside in the build-up to his side's opener.
"Are we just going to leave players behind the line then? It's farcical," Smith said. "He was 10 yards offside and come back and tackled our player. It's a pathetic law and a pathetic decision.
"I said to the fourth official David Coote 'did you get juggling balls for Christmas?' I don't think any other manager would get sent off for that."
Silva was non-committal on the incident but said he believed that Rodri was onside based on the letter of the law.
"I haven't checked it yet," Silva told BT Sport. Our player was offside but when their defender touched it, he stops being offside, I think. But I haven't checked it."
Smith was also unhappy with the decision for City's second goal as referee Jonathan Moss awarded the home side a penalty after a handball on Matty Cash.
Ilkay Gundogan would convert the ensuing penalty to provide City with an insurance goal.
"Matty Cash is a yard away for the handball, he can't jump without his arms up," Smith said. "He didn't even look at it, it flabbergasts me. It was a poor performance from the officials and that's cost us."
Smith, though, indicated that he was happy with his side as they took in their first game since New Year's Day after an outbreak of coronavirus at the club.
"It was a heroic performance in terms of energy and commitment but we didn't show enough quality against a very good team," he told BBC Match of the Day.
"It's been tough but much tougher for other people across the country, so it's not too hard for my lads to do 10 days in isolation when some people have done it for nine months."