Guardiola accepts 鈥榗ruel鈥 UCL exit
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola insisted VAR does produce 鈥渇air football鈥 despite a cruel Champions League quarterfinal exit on away goals to Tottenham after a pulsating tie ended 4-4 on aggregate.
City was 4-3 victors in Wednesday鈥檚 second leg, but for the third straight season failed to reach the last four under Guardiola as two big VAR reviews went in Spurs鈥 favor.
Firstly, Fernando Llorente鈥檚 decisive goal 17 minutes from time stood despite the ball appearing to clip the Spaniard鈥檚 hand on its way into the net.
Then deep into stoppage time, Raheem Sterling had the strike, that would have sealed his hat-trick and seen City through, ruled out after Sergio Aguero was shown to be offside in the build-up.
鈥淚 support VAR. It鈥檚 just to see the goal from Llorente is handball. From one angle looks like handball, from the angle the referee saw, it doesn鈥檛,鈥 said Guardiola. 鈥淚鈥檓 fine for the fair football, for the fair decisions. If it鈥檚 offside, it鈥檚 offside. In the future, even the present, it will be fair.鈥
Elimination ended City鈥檚 quest for a quadruple and Guardiola lamented a series of costly errors across both games, after Aguero also missed a penalty in the first leg, that saw his side bow out to a side 16 points behind them in the Premier League.
鈥淚t鈥檚 tough. We were close to go through, it鈥檚 cruel, but we have to accept it,鈥 added Guardiola.
鈥淭he mistakes in this competition punish you a lot. Unfortunately it was a bad end for us.鈥
Unlike Guardiola, Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has previously been a critic of VAR, but believes the decisions to award City a penalty in the first leg and not punish Fernandinho for a clash with Harry Kane balanced themselves out over the tie.
鈥淵ou have to trust the VAR when it is against or for you,鈥 said Pochettino. 鈥淭he decision to include VAR in football is going to change the game.鈥
And the Argentine labeled his players as 鈥渉eroes鈥 for reaching the semifinal of the European Cup for just the second time in their history after a season in which they have not signed a single player and played the majority of the campaign at a temporary home in Wembley.
鈥淥n this type of night, this type of victory, only I can feel proud,鈥 said Pochettino. 鈥淚 feel they are heroes. With all the circumstances to be in the semi-finals of the Champions League they deserve a lot of praise.鈥
Son suspended
Guardiola鈥檚 decision to not start Kevin de Bruyne in the first leg will be further questioned as the Belgian bagged a hat-trick of assists to take City to the brink of the last four.
The first set up the first of four goals in 11 minutes as Sterling opened the scoring.
However, Spurs struck back twice in three minutes as Son Heung-min鈥檚 double took his tally for the season to 20.
Yet, with Kane expected to be sidelined for the rest of the season, Pochettino has another selection headache with Son suspended for the first leg of Spurs鈥 semifinal against Ajax.
A kamikaze opening had another twist as Bernardo Silva鈥檚 effort deflected off Danny Rose and wrong-footed Hugo Lloris at his near post to bring City level on the night.
By the midway point of the first-half, the hosts were back in front as Bernardo and De Bruyne played creators once more and Sterling finished off a low cross at the back post.
Spurs鈥 hopes of holding on to their advantage on away goals suffered another blow when Moussa Sissoko was forced off with an injury.
Pochettino chose attack as the best form of defence by replacing the midfielder with Llorente in what proved to be a decisive change.
De Bruyne had his third assist on the hour mark as he surged through midfield before timing his pass for Aguero to perfection and the Argentine rifled past Lloris.
Having gone ahead for the first time in the tie, Guardiola soon sent on Fernandinho to restore some sense of control, but City was pegged back again as an incredible tie swung back in Tottenham鈥檚 favor.
Kieran Trippier鈥檚 corner was bundled in by Llorente, but there was controversy as the ball seemed to hit the striker鈥檚 arm on its way in.
After a VAR check, though, Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir stood by his original decision and the goal stood.
And VAR went against City again deep into stoppage time as delirium soon turned to disbelief inside the Etihad when what would have been a hat-trick for Sterling was ruled out.
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