- Title: City boss Guardiola rues late VAR "deja vu" as champions draw with Spurs
- Date: 17th August 2019
- Summary: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK (AUGUST 17, 2019) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, SAYING: "We play against Tottenham, one of the best in Europe, and it was an incredible performance. Unfortunately we cannot win. We lose two times against Tottenham because of VAR and last season it was offside and today it was hands. And that's all." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, ON WHETHER HE'S EXPECTING ANY CONSISTENCY WITH VAR THIS SEASON, SAYING: "Ask the VAR, go to London and ask the big bosses. So I'm not VAR. They're making an example with Premier League managers, I saw it and that's all. If at the end (of the game) people disallowed it what can I say? It's a pity because it's the last minute. We live together (with Tottenham after) what happened in the Champions League, the last action from Raheem (Sterling) and today was the same. That's happened, what can I say? It's tough, it's tough because we played good, we scored a nice goal and we cannot (have the goal) do that." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER CITY MANAGER, PEP GUARDIOLA, ON THE INCIDENT INVOLVING A POTENTIAL FOUL BY ERIK LAMELA ON CITY PLAYER RODRI, SAYING: "It's a penalty." Reporter: Who was it? Who did it involve? "It's a corner and (Erik) Lamela goes over Rodri, who goes down. But VAR in that moment was taking a coffee." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, MAURICIO POCHETTINO, SAYING: "I have said now that VAR is in football. I was a little bit of a critic in the past and of course that wasn't nice for people to see or to listen to from me." WHITE FLASH (SOUNDBITE) (English) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR MANAGER, MAURICIO POCHETTINO, SAYING: "I'm going to accept the rules, I accept the rules. I said that....I'm going to accept in the future because for sure some decision will be against us for sure. I'm going to accept in the same way with the same face and of course...the rules are the rules, the VAR is there and is part of the game today."
- Embargoed: 31st August 2019 23:23
- Keywords: Man City Tottenham Premier League Pep Guardiola Mauricio Pochettino
- Location: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK
- City: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA001ASLWCHR
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was left cursing more late VAR "deja vu" against Tottenham after Gabriel Jesus' last-minute disallowed goal meant the champions had to settle for a 2-2 draw on Saturday (August 17).
City twice took the lead against Spurs thanks to Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero goals and were the better side for long periods, but Erik Lamela and Lucas Moura - who scored moments after coming on - thwarted City in their first home league game of the season.
But it was Jesus' disallowed stoppage-time goal that proved the major controversy against the Londoners once more after the ball appeared to come off Aymeric Laporte's hand in the build-up.
City also found VAR to be their undoing in their Champions League quarter-final exit to Tottenham last season, with Sterling's last-minute strike ruled out for offside when it looked as if Guardiola's men had progressed.
City and Spurs drop points for the first time this season after Saturday's draw at Etihad Stadium.
(Production: Elliot Richardson) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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