Luck wasn’t on Manchester City’s side against Newcastle

Manchester City went down to a 2-1 defeat last night to Newcastle United at St. James Park. At the final whistle, it was hard to argue that Eddie Howe’s side didn’t deserve to pick up all three points in a pulsating Premier League encounter. They did create the better chances over the full 90 minutes and they picked up a vital victory over City. Throughout yesterday’s match, it was apparent that luck, or more to the point, VAR  refereeing decisions went against City. Luck wasn’t on Manchester City’s side yesterday but those types of incidents do tend to even out over the course of a season.

Several key decisions went against Manchester City against Newcastle.

As entertaining as yesterday’s match between Manchester City and Newcastle was, there was a host of 50/50 decisions that went against Pep Guardiola’s side. The first arrived in the 18th minute. Phil Foden had a shot on goal and Newcastle defender Fabian Schär slid in and his studs clearly caught Foden on the ankle. After a lengthy VAR check, the on-field decision of no penalty stood and play continued. That was the first key decision that didn’t go Manchester City’s way. It wouldn’t be the last.

Harvey Barnes scored Newcastle’s winner in the 70th minute. The goal came two minutes after Ruben Dias had cancelled out Harvey Barnes’ opening goal. It was the key moment of the game and there were two 50/50 calls that went against Manchester City.

The first was that Gianluigi Donnarumma felt he was fouled in the build-up to Harvey Barnes’ winning goal. His protests fell on deaf ears as VAR ruled there was no foul on the Manchester City goalkeeper. Ruben Dias spoke about this decision and Pep Guardiola said the situation that unfolded with Donnarumma at St. James Park was similar to the one that the Italian international faced against Bournemouth.

As Nick Woltemade headed the ball across in the City area to set up the goalmouth scramble that led to Harvey Barnes’ winner, Bruno Guimaraes did seem to be offside by an inch or two before he played the ball. After the celebrations of Harvey Barnes’ eventual winner subsided, a lengthy VAR check unfolded. VAR decided that Donnarumma wasn’t fouled in the build-up to Barnes’ goal, and Bruno Guimaraes was adjudged to have not been in an offside position in the scramble that led to Newcastle’s winner. Luck, or VAR wasn’t on Manchester City’s side and they fell to a disappointing 2-1 defeat.

Manchester City’s luck with VAR decisions should even out over the course of a season.

Newcastle played well and did what they had to do to pick up three points yesterday. They also had the rub of the green so to speak and that can happen over the course of a season. Pep Guardiola wouldn’t comment on the referee or VAR’s decisions yesterday as it is wasted energy. Manchester City will have days when the referee and VAR decisions go in their favour. That didn’t occur yesterday.

Manchester City’s 2-1 defeat to Newcastle wasn’t without it’s talking points. But in the end, City didn’t do enough to beat Eddie Howe’s hungry and determined side at St. James Park. Yes, luck in terms of three key VAR decisions didn’t land on City’s side but that is the way it goes and those type of decisions do tend to even out over the course of a season.