Wolverhampton Wanderers’ resilient effort against Manchester City was in vain as John Stones clinched a late victory at Molineux.
The Wolves were on the brink of securing a vital point, but VAR intervened in the dying moments of the match. Goals from Jorgen Strand Larsen and Josko Gvardiol had leveled the score at 1-1 until Stones’ dramatic winner from a corner.
The Old Gold had admirably kept the formidable Man City side at bay throughout the game, only to have victory snatched away at the last minute. Despite their efforts, the late goal left the fans at Molineux disappointed and frustrated.
Manager Gary O’Neil, who had been an advocate for scrapping VAR, had to accept the technology’s decisive role in the defeat. Wolves had previously lobbied to remove VAR from the Premier League, but the system remained, leading to significant consequences in the clash against Manchester City.
Stones’ goal, initially ruled out for offside but subsequently awarded after a VAR review, sparked controversy and left O’Neil questioning the consistency of VAR decisions. He pointed to past incidents, including a disallowed goal from a similar scenario, to argue against the legitimacy of the late winner.
Despite O’Neil’s protests, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola defended Stones’ goal, emphasizing that Bernardo Silva’s positioning did not impede the goalkeeper and praising his team’s execution on the play.
Guardiola’s perspective clashed with O’Neil’s, setting the stage for a dispute over the validity of the decisive goal. While Guardiola commended his team’s tactical approach, O’Neil and the Wolves faithful were left frustrated by the outcome of the match, setting the stage for further discussions and discontent in the aftermath of the game.
