SO NEAR... YET SO VAR Pep frustrated as technology rules out ‘winner’
MANCHESTER CITY 2 TOTTENHAM 2
VAR struck again in sickening fashion for Manchester City as the ghosts of the Champions League exit against Spurs resurfaced.
City thought they had avenged that spiteful night in April in which Spurs had benefited from a technology- assisted, disallowed Raheem Sterling goal in the quarter-final showdown.
Into added time yesterday, they once again went peppering Hugo Lloris’ goal, desperately searching for the winner.
And when, from a Kevin De Bruyne corner, substitute Gabriel Jesus squeezed a shot into the corner of the net, it sparked wild celebrations.
But, again, they were cut short as VAR ruled that Aymeric Laporte had handled in the goalmouth melee which led to the Jesus effort.
Pep Guardiola, who had just made peace with Sergio Aguero after an earlier bust- up ( right), had to be consoled by a delighted Mauricio Pochettino.
It meant City had missed out on a 16th consecutive Premier League win, while Spurs avoided a club- record equalling seventh consecutive away league defeat.
It had been a blistering start from City and from Sterling in particular, who wreaked havoc every time he cut in from the left, Kyle Walker-Peters enduring a torrid opening.
The alarm bells for a sluggish Spurs side had been ringing long before Sterling’s brilliantly executed header gave Guardiola’s highly motivated side a
20th-minute lead.
Following a turbocharged run by Kyle
Walker, Sterling had earlier been denied by a last- ditch block by
Walker- Peters as he looked to pull the trigger from inside the box.
There were justifiable claims for a penalty when Erik Lamela pulled Rodrigo down, but neither referee Michael Oliver nor the VAR team were moved. But there was no deny Sterling – the hat-trick hero last t out against West Ham – adding to impressive tally as De Bruyne Bernardo Silva exchanged n passes before the Belg crossed for Sterling ghost in and send header past Lloris.
It left Aguero look on in awe at goalscoring exploit his attacking part who is simply on fire The Argentinian wo later leave his own mark the game – but not before Sp reminded everyone what they capable of at this ground.
Their roller- coaster Champi