Love him or hate him, there is arguably no manager in world football as entertaining from the sidelines during a game as Jose Mourinho. On Sunday night, when he was facing his most familiar rival in Pep Guardiola once again, a few clips were added to the all-time highlight reel by the charismatic Portuguese manager.
Steven Bergwijn’s debut goal helped Tottenham to a remarkable 2-0 win over 10-man Manchester City on Sunday to breathe new life into their challenge for a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Mourinho’s men had been completely outplayed for the first hour, but were kept in the game by City’s profligacy and Hugo Lloris’s first-half penalty save from Ilkay Gundogan that coincided with five minutes of crazy drama.
However, Oleksandr Zinchenko’s sending off changed the course of the game as Spurs scored with their first two shots on goal through Bergwijn and Son Heung-min.
Victory lifts Spurs up to fifth, just four points off fourth-placed Chelsea.
A sixth league defeat of the season for City sees Liverpool remain 22 points clear at the top and within touching distance of their first league title for 30 years.
This was arguably the least anticipated of Mourinho and Pep Guardiola’s 23 meetings as opposing managers, but it resorted to type as the Portuguese set up Spurs to defend deep, while City monopolised possession.
The visitors could have been out of sight by half-time as in a recurring theme of their season, the champions were wasteful in front of goal.
However, Tottenham also felt City were lucky not to be down to 10 men earlier when Raheem Sterling caught England international teammate Dele Alli with his studs.
The moment of the match, however, belonged to Mourinho for his reaction on the sidelines to a bizarre phase of play.
Lloris was making just his third appearance since returning from a long-term layoff due to a dislocated elbow. He turned Sergio Aguero’s low shot onto the post before the Argentine was chopped down in the area by Serge Aurier.
Referee Mike Dean initially waved play on, but with no break in play for a few minutes he eventually stopped the game after being told to give a penalty by VAR. City’s dreadful run from the spot continued as Gundogan joined Gabriel Jesus and Sterling in failing to convert in recent weeks as his low effort was parried by Lloris.
Sterling then pounced on the rebound and went down over Lloris, but no second penalty was awarded and Sterling also escaped the possibility of a second booking for diving.
While Mourinho was smiling at the fact that the second penalty was not given, he was reminded by his assistant if VAR did not think there was a foul on Sterling, he should have been given a second yellow.
The reaction was priceless.
“I love goalline technology because there is no mistake. The VAR has too many mistakes, too many,” Mourinho said after the match. “The game started immediately with the wrong decision. It’s a red card, it’s a direct red card to Sterling [for a rash tackle on Dele Alli].
“I know that Mike Dean has a difficult job. He’s on the pitch and it’s 200 miles an hour. I wouldn’t like to be a referee because it’s so difficult. Sometimes I try in training sessions and I realise that it’s too difficult. So for me Mike Dean, good performance. The problem is the VAR.”
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