Pep Guardiola’s men were denied an injury time winner on Saturday after the ball struck Aymeric Laporte’s arm in the build up
Gary Neville has warned that there will be many more examples of the injury time drama that saw Manchester City deprived of a winning goal against Tottenham on Saturday.
Gabriel Jesus appeared to have sealed the three points for City when he fired past Hugo Lloris to make it 3-2, but the goal was disallowed after a VAR review found the ball had hit Aymeric Laporte’s arm on the way to a team-mate.
It is not the first time in 2019 City have had a decisive goal taken away against Spurs, as VAR denied them a late winner in their Champions League quarter-final in April.
And former Manchester United and England right-back Neville says Premier League teams will need to get used to the shocks that VAR offers as the rules state a goal will be chalked off if it strikes a hand or arm in the build up regardless of intent.
“There was just disbelief, but we’re going to get more of that,” the pundit said on Sky Sports.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen VAR in the last minute of a game like that shocked everyone in the stadium, I know we saw it in the Champions League last season.
“It’s a matter of fact that if it hits the arm on a way to a goal, it will be disallowed so you could argue that it is right, there’s no doubt about that. The City fans are shocked.”
Fellow ex-England player Jamie Redknapp argued that the decision was a harsh one.
“If the handball is intentional or unintentional, that’s the law now but it is such a harsh decision,” he said.
“What I find amazing is that not one Tottenham player complains or looks at the referee. It’s just that feeling of losing the game and there’s nothing you can do.
“VAR is going to add so much to the game because it will make it fairer but that one, for me, it is an extremely harsh decision. Whether VAR got it right, it seems within the letter of the law then yes, but I still think it is really harsh on Man City.
“In the dressing room, they will all be asking how it has been disallowed.”
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