What is it with the Tottenham vs Manchester City fixture that brings up so many surreal VAR moments?
In the Premier League match today, yet another video assistant referee moment marked the game. Or rather, set of incidents all together.
To begin with, Manchester City were awarded a penalty after over two minutes of play had passed following the incident. It was a moment that almost everybody watching could have guessed would be reviewed, but the officials didn’t get the chance to award any decision due to the ball not going dead. Eventually the video officiating team intervened with the ball in a neutral area.
However this begs the question – for such an obvious decision, why is the game not stopped?
It took @MikeDean n #VAR 2MIN 45SEC to give man city a penalty #TOTMCI ??? pic.twitter.com/pts7oPXDQt
— darie (@dariuskats) February 2, 2020
Ilkay Gündogan stepped up with confidence, only for his spot kick to be saved by Hugo Lloris. The German’s effort was hit low, but not too close to the corner, and in a good spot for a keeper to save if he got down low enough in time.
But then… chaos descends on North London.
?? Tottenham vs Manchester City | Penalty missed by Gundogan. Sterling dives and gets a red card soon… LOL #TOTMCI pic.twitter.com/xMIWywoeMP
— D9INE (@D9INE_PREMIUM_2) February 2, 2020
Ugly scenes in London as lloris saves penalty… Poor penalty taken man city ??? #TOTMCI pic.twitter.com/YwEq1QZyaI
— darie (@dariuskats) February 2, 2020
The penalty is saved, but Raheem Sterling is first to react. Lloris jumps and does not get the ball, but possibly may have caught the England forward, which could have led to a second penalty immediately following the first.
VAR took another look and sided against City.
Shortly after, the half time whistle blew, with the scores still level at 0-0.