it’s happening again.
Yet again Man City were denied a late winner against Spurs, following the Champions league quarter final last season, the first meeting this season saw a two all draw, thanks to an arm and VAR.
It’s there celebrations that make such fun, the only downside is that one of the City players hasn’t hurt himself in the act of going crackers over a late winner that wasn’t. Imagine the scenes if Sterling did his knee when sliding after his “goal” in the CL.
That and the reaction of the media. The poor dears, they were put off their vinegar stroke when VAR said no goal. It ultimately stop their gushing at a team costing the GDP of a medium sized country playing decent football but not quite good enough to win the game.
And there’s your rub. Spurs were atrocious for most of the game, they barely turned up for great parts of it yet came away with a point. Now if City or Liverpool had been awful and completely outplayed in a game and didn’t lose they would be in for great praise… but not Spurs.
But… but… but… this would never have happened in the whole history of football… bleated Gary Lineker. Worth every penny of all that money they take off pensioners with his adept punditry. Much like kicking the ball backwards at a kick-off didn’t happen before last season and playing the ball from a goal-kick inside the area before this. You know Gary, laws change. I’m thinking if Spurs had scored via a handball and the this law hadn’t been introduced Gary would have been crying about an “undeserved” winner coming from a handball shouldn’t count.
Well, Spurs have got that one out of the road early. Don’t have to face City away again and they got a point out of it. You’d probably take that result pre-match, you’d certainly take it after the opening 20 minutes. By which time Sterling had scored the opener. It was all him you know, nothing to do with De Bruyne sticking the ball right on his head and the defence letting him get in all alone at the back post. It was all Sterling. Yup, after they completely dominated that opening 20 you’d snap someone’s hand off for a point.
Well, it wasn’t long before Spurs were level. Three minutes. I had questioned the starting XI Pochettino had chosen, I was right about one of the players Poch got wrong but wrong about Lamela, I thought Moura would have been the better choice. Ndombele now has a goal and an assist in two game, he played a good ball into Lamela who for once didn’t take far too many touches. Only a couple before he banged the ball home, taking their keeper by surprise by taking the shot early.
Spurs weren’t getting out of their own half and yet again fannying about at the back wasn’t doing anyone any favours bar City. Though Spurs weren’t helped by the usual City method of just fouling anyone on a fast breakaway. You know the one they get away with for most of the game and the media never highlight when indulging in the Pep masturbation fantasies. Sterling did get an early yellow but the ref didn’t follow it up when that didn’t put off others.
They were back ahead shortly after. Again a simple goal, they really didn’t have to work that hard for either of their scores, and a tap in for Aguero.
Again Poch saw this not working but didn’t make a change until just before the hour. It again, as last week, was the right move and not just because of the immediate impact Moura had. Nineteen seconds from the moment he entered the pitch until he nodded in the second equaliser. It wasn’t just that it was who he replaced. Winks. Has Poch learned from this? While Winks has been on the pitch Spurs have been losing. When Winks hasn’t been on the pitch Spurs haven’t lost. When you’re struggling to get out of your own half a Winks sideways ball is not what you need. It’s just a gift to the opposition.
I was wrong about Lamela’s inclusion and not just because of the goal he scored, he assisted for the Moura equaliser from a corner. A corner that missed the first defender as did one later which could have led to a goal. Surely Eriksen, who started, has to be off corners now.
We saw Lo Celso late on, well he appeared but it was all City so we really didn’t see anything from him. Hugo had a Hugo moment, flapping at the ball which he eventually landed on but he made some really good saves, one particularly from a deflected shot that kept Spurs in it.
Everyone saw the late “winner” coming, who saw the VAR rescue team coming? It hit his arm, the team gained an advantage from it, it’s not a goal, cry me another one Gary. And poor Pep it stopped his make up with Aguero – he don’t like you Serg, he’s happy to try and humiliate you. Three quarters of a billion spent at City but poor Pep can’t by the VAR…