VAR Checks Man City, and Spurs Dash Their Dream of a Quadruple

For a few opening minutes, it looked like this Champions League quarter-final would be settled by the first side to reach 10 goals.

Raheem Sterling and Heung-Min Son orchestrated a crazy first half that featured five goals and two comebacks.

Tottenham took the first leg, 1-0, keeping City from away goals and then racking up three of their own in the return match, which meant their 4-3 loss at the Etihad resulted in a 4-4 aggregate and put them through.

 

That's a lotta time between celebrations.

 

It mighta been different if human error was allowed to stand, but this is the 21st Century, and technology reigns supreme.

Thus, when City thought they scored the goal that woulda put them through in the 94th minute through Sterling, but the VAR revealed truth.

 

Again, the match started at a frenetic pace. The Citizens quickly negated Tottenham's first leg advantage with only four minutes gone.

Kevin De Bruyne was the architect, assisting Sterling, who cut inside Kieran Trippier, and blasted home past Hugo Lloris:

 

Since Spurs still haven't figured out how to play defense, the did what they're much better at doing. Scoring.

Only four minutes after City got their show on the road, Son capitalized on a poor clearance by Aymeric Laporte and launched a heatseeker outside the area that got under Ederson:

 

A mere three minutes later, and Son turned things back to Spurs' advantage.

After a Lucas Moura sprint, Christian Eriksen took over and passed it to Son, who curled into Ederson's far corner:

 

Damn.

Harry who?

Like true champions, City joined Spurs in Clash of the Titans mode and went on to level instantly after the ensuing kick-off. Sergio Agüero hit Bernardo Silva racing down the right wing. The Portuguese internataional's close-range shot deflected off Danny Rose and nestled into the back of the net:

 

 

The hits just kept on coming.

In the 21st minute, the hosts regained the lead through Sterling.

Bernardo triggered de Bruyne down the right, as the Belgian's low cross found him at the far post, which he quickly drove home from a narrow angle:

 

That's a lotta energy expended before they could hand out the orange slices and juice boxes at the half.

After refueling, though, more goals were on the menu after the break.

In the 59th minute, de Bruyne picked up the ball in the middle, drove forward, and fed Agüero, who tore into nylon for what appeared to be a commanding goal:

 

 

Got that right.

Come the 73rd minute, Fernando Llorente scored from a Trippier corner. City players mounted a loud complaint for handball, but after a VAR check, Spurs got the goal:

 

Everyone says those breaks even out.

Says who?

After 20 minutes of desperate pressing, Sterling slotted a last-gasp goal after a pass from Agüero. However ...

 

 

With this result, a virtually unheard-of quadruple -- a clean sweep of every competition involving City -- remains the Holy Grail of football.

Meanwhile, rejoicing from North London and Spur-supporting enclaves everywhere rose into full volume.