Manchester City: Three Takeaways From 2-2 Draw Against Tottenham

Just like their UEFA Champions League Quarterfinal Draw at the Etihad this past April, Manchester City were burned by VAR at the death once again.

The final key takeaway from the match was, unfortunately, a story that Manchester City fans are all too familiar with against Spurs at the Etihad: getting burned at the death by a controversial VAR decision.

City scored, what they thought, was a late-winner at the death off of a Gabriel Jesus shot on a corner. VAR, however, revealed that Aymeric Laporte, who had touched the ball in the build-up to Jesus’s shot, had handled the ball with his upper arm, albeit accidental. Because any direct contact with an attacking player’s arm in the build-up to a goal is now considered a handball, City’s goal was disallowed.

The real controversy surrounding the call, however, shouldn’t be on VAR. It should be on the absurd rule change that the FA implemented this season that says ANY contact with a hand or an arm, even if it’s done by an attacking player on accident,  is now considered a handball.

The whole intent behind the handball rule, as it was originally implemented and used in the game prior to this season, was to prevent an attacking player from intentionally using their hand or arm to handle the ball in a way that assisted them in a positive way. It was also created to prevent defenders from doing the same thing.

Saturday afternoon revealed the absurdity of this rule. In no way did Laporte have control of his arm when it deflected off of him and to the foot of Gabriel Jesus. Is this really how we want to be applying the handball rule?

City were also denied a penalty early in the game on, what looked like, a foul by Eric Lamela on Rodri in the box. Lamela appeared to have pulled Rodri to the ground. VAR denied a penalty call despite obvious evidence suggesting Rodri was fouled.

VAR can, and will be helpful to getting calls right in the game. However, in it’s current iteration, it’s been a total disaster so far.

Everyone involved with have to meet ASAP to try and remedy this. Otherwise, the 2019-20 season is going to be total chaos.