Pep Guardiola suggested his Manchester City players will not move to speak to referees in future games after Kyle Walker was caught out by Arsenal and Michael Oliver.

Walker headed to the centre-circle to speak to Oliver in a break in play after the official asked for a word with the City captain before an Arsenal free-kick in their own half.

The right-back headed back to his position after the chat, only to find the ball flying over his head to where he should have been, and Gabriel Martinelli knocked the ball back for Riccardo Calafiori to beautifully bend in a controversial equaliser.

City were fuming, with Ederson booked for his protests and Pep Guardiola kicking a chair in anger as Walker remonstrated with the referee. They weren’t best pleased later in the first half when Ederson was blocked off to allow Gabriel to score from a corner.

Guardiola put the ultimate responsibility for the goals on his team, saying they should have been better organised despite the interferences. However, he said that he would tell his players not to head out of position if referees asked them to in future games.

“It’s a question for referees, [the block on Ederson]. I don’t think. It’s a block, sometimes there are blocks in a position. Sometimes it is disallowed and sometimes it is a goal. I don’t know.

“My concern is that when the referee asks Walker to go 20 miles away from his position, maybe he has to wait but we have to organise better. The second block, I don’t know on Ederson but we have to defend Gabriel better and Kyle didn’t do that.

“If they bring us this type of game, we have to handle it. And we did it. If Kyle can’t be there, Ruben and Kova without Rodri have to organise. One player has to be in front to avoid taking quick free-kicks – to try to avoid a yellow card but to be there.

“There are always things we can do better. But next time, I will say to my players when the referee says come and talk to me we will not go. I will say you come to me.”

The City boss felt it was a “good point” and will hope star midfielder Rodri has avoided a serious knee injury having been forced off midway through the first half.

“I don’t know yet,” Guardiola said. “I didn’t speak with the doctors.

“Rodri is a strong man. If he leaves the pitch, then he felt something otherwise he stays there.”