Gary Lineker bursts out laughing as Ian Wright slams 'worst decision I've ever seen'

Ian Wright left Gary Lineker and Jermaine Jenas in stitches with his brutal assessment of referee Craig Pawson's first penalty decision as Manchester City beat Wolves 5-1 on Saturday. The Arsenal icon blasted the awarding of a spot-kick, which broke the deadlock early and kept the Premier League title race in City's hands.

It took Pep Guardiola's side just 12 minutes to take the lead at the Etihad Stadium and they didn't look back, moving one point behind Arsenal with a game in hand.

But the first of Erling Haaland's four goals was controversial due to a contentious penalty call after a collision between Rayan Ait Nouri and Josko Gvardiol.

Pawson adjudged Ait Nouri to have fouled Gvardiol as he attempted to connect with a Bernardo Silva cross.

However, the City defender appeared to have already taken his shot before the collision, with some disputing whether the Algeria international made contact at all before the shot was taken.

After full-time, Wolves manager Gary O'Neill disputed the early penalty decision, which sparked a mauling in East Manchester, and Lineker agreed with his grievances on Match of the Day.

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He said: “Well as he mentions that first penalty decision, I know it was very comfortable win in the end wasn’t it for City but he might have a point. That did just look like a genuine coming together.”

And Wright wasted no time blasting the decision, expressing his disbelief that Ait Nouri was punished, having believed he didn't kick Gvardiol at all.

“Absolutely. This could be the worst penalties I’ve ever seen given in the game," Wright explained on the BBC show as Lineker and Jenas laughed out loud.

"It’s getting more and more ridiculous. You got Ait-Nouri he’s turning and not looking, he makes contact with the ball and I don’t think he’s actually kicked him here at all Ait-Nouri.

"He’s actually already had his shot and he’s blasted into him, how can they look at that in there and say this is a penalty and he’s impeding him? Look, he’s had his shot, I’m bewildered.”

Haaland completed his hat-trick before half-time with his second penalty before he added a fourth moments after Hee-Chan Hwang netted a consolation goal at the other end.

Julian Alvarez replaced the 23-year-old late on and notched City's fifth in a statement performance on a high-pressure afternoon.

City travel to Fulham in their next Premier League outing on Saturday before Arsenal face a daunting trip to Old Trafford, an unhappy hunting ground, where Manchester United could do their rivals a huge favour.