Man City boss Guardiola bemoans Video Assistant Referee's failure to pick a hand-ball goal by Tottenham's Llorente in seven-goal Champions League quarter-final second leg that saw City and its quadruple dream crushed
Tottenham's Fernando Llorente (No. 18) knocks in the ball off his hand and hip to score against Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-final second leg clash in Manchester
Pep Guardiola rued VAR's failure to rule out Fernando Llorente's decisive goal for Tottenham as Manchester City's quadruple bid was shattered by a "cruel" Champions League quarter-final exit on Wednesday.
Spurs survived a seven-goal thriller, losing the battle 3-4 but winning the war on away goals thanks to their 1-0 victory in the first leg a titanic quarter-final tie. A match that saw City lead 1-0, trail 2-1, then forge ahead 4-2 to lead the tie for the first time before. But Tottenham striker Llorente bundled home in the 73rd minute via a combination of his arm and hip, with VAR allowing the goal on review.
Referee Cuneyt Cakir refers to the VAR screen before allowing Llorente's goal. The VAR came into play again in stoppage time when Man City's Raheem Stering's goal was disallowed as teammate Sergio Aguero was offside. Pics/AFP, Getty Images
Guardiola could be seen gesturing for hand-ball as the VAR check was made, but in vain. Adding to the City manager's frustration, Raheem Sterling appeared to have scored what would have been the winner in stoppage-time, only for the goal to be ruled out by VAR for offside against Sergio Aguero.
"I support VAR but maybe from one angle Fernando Llorente's goal is hand-ball, maybe from the referee's angle it is not. Then, I saw the action and the people from above decided it [City's disallowed goal] was offside. We celebrated and were so close to the semis. It is cruel," Guardiola said. Despite the exit, Guardiola insisted he was proud of his team. "We missed a penalty in the first leg but I'm so proud of the players and the fans. I've never heard such noise since I have been in Manchester," said Guardiola.
Meanwhile, Tottenham's only other semi-final appearance in Europe's elite club competition came in its previous guise as the European Cup in 1961-62. Full credit to boss Mauricio Pochettino, who hasn't signed any player in the last two transfer windows. Saluting his side, who went through without injured striker Harry Kane following his injury in the first leg, Pochettino said: "It was unbelievable — the way it finished. I am so happy, so proud. My players are heroes to be here."
The seven-goal thriller
4th min: Man City's Raheem Sterling scores...........................1-0
7th min: Tottenham's Son Heung-min taps in from close range.....1-1
10th min: Son curls one inside the far right corner...........................2-1
11th min: City's Bernardo Silva's weak shot is deflected in..........2-2
21st min: Sterling gets to the end of a Kevin de Bryune cross.......3-3
73rd min: Spurs' Llorente turns in a cross off his hand and hip.....4-3
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