Man City vs Tottenham result: VAR denies Gabriel Jesus’ late winner as Spurs hang on for draw

An extraordinary end but, for Manchester City, one that feels all too familiar. Four months on from their Champions League elimination at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur, when they were denied victory in the tie by a late goal disallowed by VAR, the same technology inflicted the first setback of their Premier League title defence.

The champions have dropped their first two points of the new season and the question they will be asking themselves is: ‘how?’ Even before Gabriel Jesus’ goal in the second minute of added-on time was chalked off, they had created enough opportunities to put Mauricio Pochettino's side to bed.

City’s dominance - 30 shots on goal to Tottenham’s three - made a mockery of the idea that anyone bar Liverpool could challenge for their crown over the next nine months. It was the type of one-sided affair that the Etihad is used to witnessing against opposition from the Premier League’s lower order.

But Tottenham are making a habit of scoring unexpected goals, achieving unlikely results and surviving by the skin of their teeth on this ground. The Erik Lamela strike which cancelled out Raheem Sterling’s breakthrough was enough of a surprise. Lucas Moura’s header, his first touch as a substitute, left City stunned.

Not quite as stunned, though, as they would be in those final, thrilling moments. At the very same end of Sterling’s non-goal in April, Jesus thought he had scored a late winner. He and very few others in the ground had noticed the deflection off Aymeric Laporte’s forearm that had sent the ball his way.

According to the new handball regulations, everything that followed - the frantic celebrations of the City players, their Tottenham counterparts falling in agony to the turf - was irrelevant as those which came after Sterling’s goal four months ago. The Etihad’s big screen confirmed the goal had been disallowed and the Premier League had its first major, significant VAR moment.

Pep Guardiola did not fall to his knees this time. Instead, he shared a word with Pochettino on touchline, most likely noting the propensity of lightning to strike twice. Seconds earlier, he had been celebrating with Sergio Aguero, the scorer of City’s second goal. He and Aguero had shared a heated exchange when the striker was substituted.

It began, as in April, with Sterling opening the scoring, but his far-post header across a helpless Hugo Lloris owed everything to Kevin de Bruyne’s cross. One fleeting glance over his shoulder was all De Bruyne needed to notice Sterling’s run behind marker Kyle-Walker Peters.

The equaliser came out of nothing; or, to be more precise, no pressure whatsoever on Lamela. City’s defence backed off as the Argentine advanced from midfield. Ederson’s questionable positioning left the right-hand side of his goal unguarded. Lamela found it.

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The goal came against the run of play but would not change it. It was Tottenham’s only attempt of the first half. Pochettino’s players did not appear particularly keen on pressing their opponents, nor countering when they did eventually win the ball back. It was a strange set-up and one that City would quickly punish.

De Bruyne set up just two Premier League goals during his injury-hit 2018-19 season. He had surpassed that total by half time, with another inch-perfect cross from the right. This time, it was lower and a slightly more obvious play to make, but still served on a plate for Aguero, who tapped in from close range.

Tottenham hardly looked like “the second best team in Europe” - Guardiola’s own words for last year’s Champions League runners-up in his pre-match press conference on Friday - but they were staking a claim to be the most efficient. With their second shot came their second goal.

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Moura had been on the pitch for just 19 seconds as a 56th minute substitute, replacing Harry Winks. The ball was in play for an even shorter amount of time when he beat Kyle Walker in the air and his header, from Lamela’s corner, looped over Ederson. Suddenly, despite his side having appeared so comfortable, Guardiola had to react.

Aguero was sacrificed, much to his own disappointment. He let his manager know how he felt as he trudged towards the substitutes’ bench and received a tongue-lashing in return. A furious Guardiola was not too shy to shout back his striker from across the dugout, even returning for more after briefly walking away.

Jesus was Aguero’s replacement and toiled up top, finding little joy until the late stages. When a corner from the right bounced into his path and he bent it around Lloris, he thought he had found what would have been a late but deserved winner. The technology, once again, had other ideas.