Football news - VAR penalty controversy as City held by Palace
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
ByEurosport
Updated 18/01/2020 at 21:16 GMT
Premier League, Etihad Stadium – Manchester City 2 (Aguero 83, 87) Crystal Palace 2 (Tosun 39, Fernandinho (og) 90)
Manchester City's Spanish manager Pep Guardiola reacts
Image credit: Getty Images
VAR took centre stage once again as Manchester City were held to a 2-2 draw by Crystal Palace at the Etihad.
The draw leaves City some 13 points behind Liverpool having played two games more.
The Eagles took the lead through Cenk Tosun just before half-time when he turned a Gary Cahill header home at a corner – a lead they took to the interval.
However, City, driven on by a raucous home crowd, monopolised possession, pinning their visitors back and peppering the goal of Vicente Guaita from the off.
It looked as though they would be handed a route back into the game when referee Graham Scott pointed to the spot for handball by Jaïro Riedewald. However, VAR would overturn the decision.
That decision looked like it would have no bearing on the result, though, when a Sergio Aguero brace gave City the lead with just three minutes of normal time remaining.
However, as the clock hit 90, Fernandinho turned a Wilfried Zaha cross into his own net to ensure a share of the spoils.
City next face Sheffield United on Tuesday, while Palace will play Southampton.
TALKING POINT - City’s decent run masked by Liverpool’s brilliance
After 23 games last year Manchester City were on 56 points, with Liverpool on 51 after 21 games. After the same number this year Liverpool are 14 points above City, with the Citizens now in tough competition with Leicester - but for second place. Of course it’s disappointing for Guardiola that the domestic season is already all but done, but his side are not to be dismissed. It is a sublime performance by Liverpool this season rather than a bad run by City that sees the table as it stands.
MAN OF THE MATCH - Cenk Tosun
A great start by Palace’s new loanee, Tosun, who scored on his debut start for the South Londoners, as well as being a key part of a side that looked as if it could have beaten a lively City today.
PLAYER RATINGS
Manchester City: Ederson 6, Cancelo 6, Stones 6, Fernandino 6, Mendy 6, De Bruyne 8, Gundogan 7, SIlva 7, Bernardo Silva 7, Aguero 8, Sterling 7. Subs: Gabriel Jesus 7, Rodri 6, Mahrez 7.
Crystal Palace: Guaita 6, Kelly 7, Tomkins 7, Cahill 7, Riedewald 6, Zaha 7, Kouyate 6, McCarthy 6, McArthur 6, J Ayew 7, Tosun 7. Subs: Ward NA, Wickham 6.
KEY MOMENTS
14’ CLOSE! An excellent free kick from Kevin de Bruyne about 30 yards out, and he just hits the woodwork.
38’ GOAL! Tosun scores on his full debut for Palace as he finds the net from Kelly's header at a set-piece.
72’ Uh oh, looks like that's going to be a penalty now after a blatant handball by Riedewald. Clearly not intentional but those are the rules.
73’ VAR does the check, and OMG it's a no handball and no penalty. Guardiola will not like that.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2020/01/18/2755709-56936190-2560-1440.jpg)
Sergio Aguero
Image credit: Getty Images
82’ GOAL! Sergio Aguero slides in to put Jesus's ball in the back of the net. 1-1.
87’ GOAL! Aguero heads the ball to score again. Crystal Palace will not be happy about that.
90’ GOAL! Wilf Zaha plays the ball across to Wickham but it looks like it's actually Fernandinho's name on the scoresheet - that's going down as an own goal. We are 2-2 at the Etihad.
KEY STATS
- Manchester City have conceded 12 goals in their 12 league games at the Etihad Stadium this season, as many as their 19 home league matches last term.
- This was Manchester City’s third Premier League draw in the 2019-20 season, more than they had in their 38 matches in last season’s competition (two).
- Crystal Palace have drawn four consecutive Premier League games for only the second time, and the first since they drew each of their first four matches in the competition in 1992.
- Man City have conceded the first goal in six of their last nine home league games, as many as they had in their first 60 under Pep Guardiola.
- Pep Guardiola became the fifth manager to take charge of Manchester City in the Premier League on his birthday, with all five failing to win (also Brian Horton in 1995, Joe Royle in 2001, Mark Hughes in 2009 and Roberto Mancini in 2010 and 2011).
- Sergio Aguero’s scored his 250th and 251st goals in all competitions for Manchester City in his 360th appearance for the club.
- Crystal Palace’s Cenk Tosun became only the fourth Turkish player to reach 10+ Premier League goals, after Muzzy Izzet (34), Tuncay Sanli (20) and Tugay (10). His goal came from the Eagles’ very first shot of the match in the 39th minute.
- Fernandinho was the first Manchester City player to score an own goal in a Premier League game since Nicolás Otamendi against Huddersfield Town in November 2017, two years and 53 days ago.
- David Silva made his 300th Premier League appearance for Manchester City - becoming the first player to reach that total for the club in the competition.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article