Premier League 2019/20: 8 Big Takeaways From Gameweek Two
2. More Man City Vs. Tottenham Drama
When Man City met Tottenham in the Champions League quarter final last season, it was one of the most dramatic ties in the entire competition, which is saying a lot. After Spurs took a 1-0 lead from the first leg, City won the second leg at the Etihad 4-3, sending the former through on away goals.
The Citizens thought they had won the tie in injury time as they put the ball in the back of the net to make it 5-3 (5-4 on aggregate), only for Sterling’s ‘winner’ to be ruled out by VAR in the most dramatic fashion possible.
On Saturday, there was an incredible feeling of déjà vu in Manchester as City were once again denied the win by the Video Assistant Referee. Twice Spurs came from behind to level terms with the champions, but again conceded in injury time for City to take the lead for a third time. Or so everyone watching thought.
In the build up to Gabriel Jesus’ goal, VAR judged Aymeric Laporte to have handled the ball in the build-up, and thus was disallowed, confusing players and fans all over and infuriating the goal scorer himself more than anyone. While the Video Assistant Referee had a lot to do with this decision, it really says more about the new handball law than anything else.