GOALKEEPER Asmir Begovic insisted “the bigger team always gets the calls” following Cherries’ controversial 2-1 defeat to Manchester City.

Referee Mike Dean became a pantomime villain at Vitality Stadium with decisions which went against Cherries at crucial moments during the latter stages of the encounter.

A challenge made by substitute Lys Mousset which was penalised and eventually led to City’s winner, was a big call that was given against against Eddie Howe’s side.

With Mousset judged to have fouled Nicolas Otamendi, City gained possession and found the net deep in stoppage time through Raheem Sterling.

A minimum of five minutes were added on by the officials, with the decisive strike coming seven minutes into time added on.

Giving his reaction after the game, Bosnian international Begovic told the Daily Echo: “I don’t think we got many calls at the end. That’s to be expected – the bigger team always gets the calls.

“We would have loved to have seen the game out and got a point, which we fully deserved I think but it just wasn’t meant to be.”

Asked about the crowd reaction after the game, in which referee Dean was booed off by the home fans, Begovic replied: “I don’t think they were happy with his performance, there were probably a couple of dodgy calls at the end.

“The seventh minute (of added time) they scored in. I think there were five extra minutes. There’s probably a couple of things that, overall, we have a right to be unhappy with.”

Quizzed further on the bigger sides getting key decisions, Begovic replied: “It’s just the way it happens.

“If you look at the added time and you can see a couple of things didn’t go our way, that’s for sure.

“Maybe it’s subconsciously or whatever but we were on the wrong side of it and I think the bigger teams do get those calls.

“It’s just the way it is, we have got to get on with that.

“There’s no need to feel sorry for ourselves, we have to crack on and just have to control what we can control.”

Cherries’ defeat means they go into the international break without a point to their name from three fixtures. Their next test comes with an away trip to Arsenal on Saturday, September 9.

On his team’s performance as a whole, the goalkeeper added: “We fought really well and there’s a lot of positives to take from this one.

“We stuck to the task really well, we were disciplined and we did what the manager asked us to do.

“We took one of the best teams in the world to the last seconds.

“You know they are always going to have chances and moments and they did, of course, but we limited that to a minimum I think for all things considered.”