Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has dismissed Mario Balotelli's elbow storm.
The Italian striker scored in their FA Cup win over Aston Villa, but also was booked for elbowing Villa midfielder Chris Herd.
"I don't think he did it on purpose," he said. "I don't think he deserved to be sent off."
Mancini continued: "I took a risk to play only Mario up front.
"But Mario played well and scored a fantastic goal.
"I was very pleased with the overall performance. This game was very important for us."
