Contact Us

Man City pays price for EPL's lack of VAR in draw at Wolves

Manchester City had to battle back from behind to earn a 1-1 draw against Premier League newcomers Wolverhampton Wanderers who gave the champions a real test at Molineux on Saturday. Last season's Championship winners showed no inferiority complex as defender Willy Boly put them ahead with a controversial 57th-minute diving header which TV replays showed may have been offside and actually went in off his arm.

Reuters & AP SPORTS
Published August 25,2018
Subscribe

The Premier League's delay in introducing VAR came under the spotlight Saturday when Manchester City dropped early points in its title defense in a 1-1 draw at newcomer Wolverhampton.

Television replays showed Willy Boly used his arm to put Wolves in front but they couldn't be viewed to rule out the goal because the English top flight is the last major European league without video assistant referees.

Before Wolves was promoted in May, Premier League clubs agreed to hold off from adopting VAR, which made its World Cup debut in Russia.

Aymeric Laporte did rescue a point for City with a header from Ilkay Gündoğan's free kick in the 69th minute, leaving Pep Guardiola's side with seven points from a possible nine. With two points, Wolves is yet to win since returning to the Premier League after a six-year absence.

City, who have seven points from three games, hit the post twice in the first half, through Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling, soon after Raul Jimenez's strike for Wolves was ruled out for offside, and Aguero hit the bar from a free kick in the dying seconds.