I was moaning on the phone at half-time to my 85 year old dad. City were winning at the time, and went further ahead just after half-time. Pigmol, Sky, BT and the fucking BBC can dress it up all they like. Something wasn't right about Tuesday night, I know fuck all about cooking, but can tell when the chicken tastes right.
Fully agree with this. There's nothing they could do to negate our goals. No hint of an offside or infringement with Gundogan's, and Foden's was just sheet brilliance. This is often the case. But if there is just the slightest hint of anything untoward, real or perceived, or if there is any decision that is open to interpretation or judgment, it goes against us.
Examples of this are numerous. Recent non-penalities on Jesus, Sterling, Foden. Blatant refusal to award penalties like when the Spurs defender flattened Rodri. And goals cancelled such as against Spurs at the start of last season, when Liverpool were given every assistance to get them an unassailable lead.
Some might say performances such as the one on Tuesday are down to referee incompetence. This can't be correct though, because most of those decisions could have been rectified by VAR.
1. Foul by Stones on the Brighton goalkeeper. VAR could have said, no, Stones did nothing wrong. The goalkeeper jumped on him, fouling him, and it should be a penalty to City.
2. Sending off. VAR could have at minimum said come and have a look for yourself. Welbeck didn't have control of the ball (a prerequisite for a red card by denying a goalscoring opportunity). Also, there is the possibility that Welbeck fouled Cancelo.
3. Foul on Jesus near half way line. VAR should have asked how on earth have you not seen that vicious kick out by the Brighton player, that completely wiped out Jesus and planted him on the floor? Come and look at the replay, and check for potential red card. Then tomorrow, go and get your eyes checked out by a qualified optician.
4. Foul on Jesus in the last minute. VAR should have awarded a penalty, or at least recommended referee review.
Other decisions went against City, such as the imaginary foul by Bernardo. For Brighton, they might have had a penalty when Garcia handled the ball. (Edit. This might have been the token counter-mistake to support the subsequent false claims that he was bad for both teams).
If Attwell's poor performance was just sheer incompetence, the poor decisions would be evened out, not the majority against City, and some of them would have been corrected.
To me, this was a highly suspicious performance, and is more characteristic of collusion and corruption than incompetence.
