Daily Mirror - 19.08.2019

19.08.2019 DAILY MIRROR

mirror.co.uk/sport/football^3

DM1ST

IN ASSOCIATION

WITH

FOR ONE..

ANOTHER

star-studded squad

content. “It’s probably

impossible,” he said.

“We already know that.

“For him, he’s going

to get questions after

every game. We’re going

to get questions if we

don’t play. We’ve got

used to it. I think.

“There are always

moments when you

want to play and you’re

unhappy, but then you

try to act normal and

be there for the team.

“That’s why we want

to be in all competitions

so there are enough

games for everyone.

“From September,

we’ll play two or three

times a week.”

KEVIN DE BRUYNE

believes it is impossible

for Pep Guardiola to

keep all his Manchester

City players happy.

Guardiola added

big-money signings

Rodri and Joao Cancelo

to his Treble-winning

squad this summer –

making it an even

bigger fight for players

to get playing time.

The City boss argued

with goal-scorer Sergio

Aguero (left) on the

touchline after

substituting him

midway through the

second half.

And De Bruyne says

it will be difficult for the

City boss to keep his

PEP’S SQUAD HEADACHE

MAN CITY 2

Sterling 20, Aguero 35

TOTTENHAM 2

Lamela 23, Moura 56

Lucas Moura’s equaliser just 19 seconds after

coming on isn’t even close to being the fastest by

a Premier League substitute in the last 11 years:

8 SECS Sammy Ameobi – October 26, 2014

Newcastle v Tottenham

15 SECS Antoine Sibierski – January 12, 2008

Wigan v Derby

17 SECS Andrew Johnson – April 23, 2011

Fulham v Wolves

17 SECS Gerard Deulofeu – March 9, 2019

Watford v Man City

LUCS QUICK.. BUT NOT SO FAST.. than he managed in last

season’s injury-plagued

campaign – and his

return to form delights

Pep Guardiola.

“I would say it’s not a

big surprise,” said the City

boss. “We know him, you

know him, everyone in

this room knows him. He

did it in the past.

“We’re happy he’s back,

especially be-

cause last sea-

son he suffered

being injured.”

Guardiola

was not so

happy with

Aguero when

he took him off

and the pair

rowed, prompt-

ing the Catalan to bellow

at his star striker as he sat

brooding in the dug-out.

The pair were all smiles

again when Aguero em-

braced Guardiola to apol-

ogise after Jesus netted,

perhaps realising he

might stay on the bench

for next Sunday’s trip to

Bournemouth if he didn’t.

But, helped by VAR,

Spurs threw another

spanner in the works of

City’s well-oiled machine.

They survived 30 shots

on Hugo Lloris’ goal, and

twice pegged City back

through an excellent Erik

Lamela strike and Lucas

Moura’s

header

within

seconds of

coming on to

earn their first away point

since January 20.

“We couldn’t win,

but we got a point,”

said Lamela. “At

the end of the

season it

could be im-

portant.”

Tottenham didn’t know

why.

“It’s impossible for

Laporte to take his arm

away,” added the Belgian.

“What can he do? Should

he chop his arm off and

play without it?

“There is nothing he

can do because Otamendi

is in front of him just 10

centimetres, trying to

head the ball.

You can’t react

in that space

and amount of

time. Make it

clear – hand-

ball both sides.”

VAR a l s o

cost City dear

in their Cham-

pions League

exit to Tottenham in April

when Raheem Sterling’s

late effort was chalked off.

De Bruyne’s frustration

was understandable and

no City player did more to

earn the champions what

would have been a 16th

straight league win.

The talented play-

maker was outstanding

and his two assists for

Raheem Sterling and Ser-

gio Aguero were brilliant.

De Bruyne has three

assists from City’s first

two Premier

League games

• one more

law hits attackers but not defenders

BY DAVID ANDERSON

KEVIN DE BRUYNE is

a smart guy – but even

he struggles to under-

stand the rule change

on handball.

He still does not get

why Gabriel Jesus’ stop-

page-time effort should

be disallowed by VAR for

handball against

Aymeric Laporte (right,

Jesus protesting).

And he is gobsmacked

that it would not have

been a penalty to

City had a Spurs player

accidentally handled the

ball as Laporte did.

According to Law 12,

VAR ruled out Jesus’ effort

because Laporte’s hand-

ball directly led to a goal,

even though it was

unintentional.

Basically, the defending

team can get away with

accidentally handling the

ball in their box but the

attacking side cannot.

For De Bruyne (below),

this inconsistency is not

right and he believes all

accidental handballs

should be treated

the same.

“I’m old fash-

ioned and I’m not the

biggest pro-VAR,” he said.

“I was told after the

game that if it had hit a

Tottenham arm, it

wouldn’t have been a

penalty, so I don’t

understand it at all.

“We knew it was

being reviewed, but

when the referee

gave the disal-

lowed goal sign

I didn’t

know

why.