Southampton held Man City to a frustrating goalless draw with VAR denying Saints a penalty plus a red card against Walker before Sterling’s late goal was ruled out for offside.
It has been a month or so since the all-new common-sense approach to refereeing was introduced and the video referee receded into the anonymity of Stockley Park. But like a sepia-tinted nostalgia fest, City’s match against Southampton turned in the 61st minute. Adam Armstrong broke dangerously into the city penalty area and Kyle Walker dived in recklessly to tackle, getting much more man than ball.
Immediately referee Jon Moss gave a penalty before sending off Walker. Next, after a lengthy delay, the ‘VAR checking penalty’ message. Eventually, Moss got back to rescind Walker’s red card, which seemed correct, as no player should be sent off while conceding a penalty on the principle of double jeopardy.
And yet, the referee also overturned the penalty, which seemed odd as Walker’s aggressive challenge wasn’t the clearest penalty ever awarded, but it certainly didn’t seem a clear and obvious mistake.
That moment provided the peak drama. There was precious little else to get excited about except on 90 minutes when City celebrated a winner before a flag was raised and checks were made.
It was Kevin De Bruyne’s cross for Phil Foden, headed goalward, that appeared to break the deadlock. Alex McCarthy saved magnificently but, on the rebound, Raheem Sterling got the ball over the line. Alas, he had come from an offside position, something VAR would confirm. Had Sterling left it for the onside Foden, City would have had their three points.
The disallowing of the goal was not the most significant part of that action. It was the fact that it was City’s first attempt on goal, in the 90th minute. Even after the A-team — De Bruyne, Foden and Riyad Mahrez — had joined the action, there wasn’t much to show for it. The team that hit five against Norwich and Arsenal, six against RB Leipzig, had come over all shot-shy.