Pep Guardiola is no stranger to exceptional circumstances shaping a game where he’s confronting a team handled by Jose Mourinho. The very first time that both met as opposing supervisors were in the Champions League semi-finals in April 2010, in which a volcanic ash cloud across Europe disrupted Barcelona’s preparations for the away leg of the tie with Inter Milan, forcing them to make the long trip to Italy by road for a game they eventually lost 3-1. Following a sensational defensive operation masterminded by Mourinho at the second leg at the Camp Nou, the defending European champions were removed and Inter went on to assert a name of their own. Freak weather events are something; what Guardiola will find to take in the day is the persistent interventions of this Video Assistant Referee that is seeing some big decisions go against Manchester City. For the third time in ten months, a match between City and Tottenham has finished amid a maelstrom of controversy regarding the deployment of the technology. Sergio Aguero’s disallowed goal in injury time in the Champions League quarterfinal at the Etihad last April was the first of the series, cutting brief City’s jubilant parties and supplying a gloomy precursor for all lovers who have had the utter joy of a late winning goal expunged through inspection this year. Four months after Gabriel Jesus’ injury-time goal between both at the Etihad at the Premier League was ruled out when the ball arrived at his feet after brushing the arm of Aymeric Laporte, denying City three points which, given Liverpool’s staggering form, now seems to have turned into a key sliding doors second this year though it was in August. The ten minutes prior to half-time today might start to create Guardiola think when facing Tottenham, he is jinxed. Hugo Lloris was a lawn off his line when Ilkay Gundogan struck his penalty; that’s clear grounds for it to be retaken, and the frustration was compounded when Lloris, after pushing Gundogan’s shot away to his left, seemed to definitely foul Raheem Sterling since the two went to get the loose ball. Quite Stockley Park could have several looks at both incidents and then award Tottenham a goal kick is currently mystifying. When Sterling went over the Spurs players responded immediately, demanding a second yellow card. For an ugly, mistimed battle on Dele Alli Sterling had been reserved At the minute that itself was reviewed rather than updated to a card. In that instance the tech Manchester City, where players at other clubs have yet to be seen charitably this season.The application of this technology is infuriating supporters and the players; in the melee that followed Sterling going over Zinchenko was reserved for dropping his rag, a caution that proved to have a huge knock-on effect for the outcome.
The lesson for Manchester City lies; anything goes in a match, you want to utilize your ability to take luck. Today City exhibited the ability to do that. They lorded it on their hosts for one hour, hogging the ball and registering a shot count of 14 to 0, but Zinchenko’s poor decision in stripping out Harry Winks tipped the scales and ten minutes after they had been defeated. Guardiola’s City group are prone to swift implosions when situation begin to stack them up. When they were denied what seemed a decent shout for a penalty shortly before Fabinho put Liverpool ahead in the first fifteen minutes, they fell at their summit meeting with Liverpool at Anfield in November.
Guardiola was raging on the touchline about the VAR technologies that day and will not be happy tonight. What’s going to definitely be the next phase of his groups’ development is currently righting wrongs that are perceived in the ninety minutes that are same.
