Guardiola: Never Trusted VAR Since Joining City

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola stated on Tuesday that he has never trusted video assistant referee decisions since joining the club, urging his players to perform better to avoid relying on officials in the Premier League title race.

Guardiola's remarks came ahead of City's home match against Crystal Palace on Wednesday, following a controversial VAR intervention in Arsenal's 1-0 victory over West Ham United on Sunday at the London Stadium. Leandro Trossard scored Arsenal's winner, but West Ham thought they had salvaged a late point when Callum Wilson netted in stoppage time. Referee Chris Kavanagh initially awarded the goal, but after a review prompted by VAR Darren England, he disallowed it for a foul by West Ham's Pablo Fornals on Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya. The result left Arsenal with 79 points from 36 games, five points clear of City, who have three matches remaining.

Guardiola did not directly address the West Ham incident but referenced Manchester City's defeats in the past two FA Cup finals as examples of perceived officiating shortcomings. In the 2024 final, City lost 2-1 to Manchester United despite challenges on Erling Haaland by Lisandro Martinez and...