THE VERDICT: PREMIER LEAGUE
DENIES
SCINTILLATING
CITY THEIR DUE
N
ow we can waste another
week going around in circles
about VAR or we can
consider one of the most
amazing teams this coun-
try has seen — or is likely to see.
Manchester City did not win on Saturday
but they did just about everything else.
They had 30 shots to Tottenham’s three;
they had 10 on target to Tottenham’s two;
they had 52 touches to Tottenham’s five in
the opposition penalty area and, if expected
goals are your thing, the score was
Manchester City 3, Tottenham 0.22.
Except it wasn’t — because there is no
such thing as expected goals.
There is the score and it shows that
Manchester City dropped points in the
Premier League for the first time since a
2-1 defeat at Newcastle on January 29.
Nobody knew how they lost that night
either, just as nobody knew how they drew
here. Even Mauricio Pochettino did not
attempt to confuse his audience with
unsustainable claims of equality.
He admitted City were the better side.
How could he deny it? He saw the 90
minutes, as we all did.
This was one of the finest performances
of Pep Guardiola’s time in England and, in
the circumstances, a draw felt like defeat.
Not just because it was a VAR call that
snatched two points away in injury time
but because to play as City did and not
win was a travesty.
‘Football is like this,’ said Guardiola.
‘It’s the only sport where you can have 30
shots and the other team two and draw
— or even lose. In other sports when you
do what we’ve done — in basketball, in
tennis, in golf — you win. That’s why
football is fascinating.’
That’s one word for it. Infuriating would
be another. Unfair, a third. For those
pining for a bit of VAR chat, here’s where
it sucks. It chalked off City’s winning goal
for handball and fair enough.
Yet, when Rodri was plainly wrestled to
the ground in the penalty area by Erik
Lamela, and referee Michael oliver missed
it, nothing.
A few minutes later, Raheem Sterling
was booked halfway up the field and oliver
gestured that he had his arms around his
opponent. So if that was a foul — and a
booking — what about the penalty?
It was a clear and obvious mistake. Isn’t
that precisely what VAR is for?
Back to City then and, strangely for a
team that consistently sets scoring
records, they do sometimes have a
problem with conversion rates.
Those who invest in the concept of
expected goals will argue that last sea-
son’s close title race was actually a sham.
In theory, City were approaching eight
points better than Liverpool and their
points return was only what they
deserved.
It was Liverpool who
would often defy their
expected goal total, finding
ways of scoring, and
winning, when they did not
always merit it.
The title race was thrilling because
Liverpool got nearer than they should;
just as Tottenham did on Saturday.
Guardiola could easily feel concerned at
this development. After all, given last
season, who knows two dropped points
might be needed come May.
Instead, he saw his glass as half full. The
argument was simple: how could he
condemn a team that created 30 goal-
scoring opportunities against opposition
who played a Champions League final
three matches ago?
‘I’m a spectator, too,’ Guardiola said.
‘I sit at home and watch games and enjoy
— and, today, I’m more than delighted.
From the first day I came here my ideawas to try to play as we played today.
I think we dignify this sport, we dignify the
people who pay to come to watch us and
see how honest we are.
‘we play for the people. And, more than
anything, I would like, when I finish my
period here, to leave that.
‘Especially the last two seasons, we are
an incredible team. I know who we played
against today. Tottenham — a team with a
top manager and players and what we
have done, I don’t know if any teams can
do it against them.’
He’s right. Tottenham are an outstanding
group, Pochettino an outstanding coach
and no team — not Liverpool, not Ajax,
not even Barcelona — have made them
look as City did. There was a significant
gulf — not in ambition, because Pochettinois a brave manager, which he showed by
introducing Lucas Moura for Harry winks
and being rewarded with the equalising
goal 19 seconds later.
No, the gulf here was in the raw talent of
individuals such as Kevin De Bruyne,
Sterling and Bernardo Silva.
Tottenham have very good players but
this trio are setting City apart. De Bruyne,
in particular, was exceptional — the
creator of both City goals and, if justice
were done, maybe two or three others.
when Pochettino talks about Tottenham
being at a different stage of development,
this is what he means.
He has players that remain works in
progress — winks, Kyle walker-Peters,
even summer signing Tanguy Ndombele.
City had 399 international caps on thebench. ‘when you face a team like
Manchester City you are exposed,’
Pochettino admitted.
‘we know our level and it is difficult to
fight face to face with a team that, in the
last three seasons, is building to win and
so clinical in the way they operate and
sign players. we are in a different way.
‘when Kyle walker was at Tottenham
and we sold him to Manchester City,
walker-Peters was a kid, the fourth or fifth
option. Now we’ve sold Kieran Trippier,
too and walker-Peters is playing against
Sterling. I think it is important people
realise we’re building players.
‘It’s a process that is completely differ-
ent to Manchester City. we sign players
who have potential. Ndombele only played
two seasons at Lyon, didn’t win anything
and we brought him here to try to makehim a top
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Manager: M
Referee: MNo, not Jesus’s late winner but Rodri’s blatant penalty
MARTIN
SAMUEL
Chief Sports
Writer at the
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