"Refs ruining this game", "Corrupt league" - Manchester City fans furious with referee for stopping counter-attack in final minutes against Tottenham
Manchester City fans on X (formerly Twitter) have blasted referee Simon Hooper for denying the Cityzens a goal-scoring opportunity in stoppage time against Tottenham Hotspur.
Pep Guardiola and Co. endured a frustrating night as they were held to a 3-3 draw by Spurs at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, December 3. Son Heung-min fired Spurs to an early lead in the sixth minute against the run of play. However, he accidentally scored an own goal three minutes later to level the scores.
The Cityzens had a dominant period following this and should have taken the lead but Jeremy Doku struck the woodwork and Erling Haaland missed a sitter. Phil Foden finished off an excellent team move in the 31st minute to give Manchester City the lead. But Tottenham fought back in the second half and were rewarded with a Giovani Lo Celso goal in the 69th minute.
Jack Grealish scored in the 81st minute with a simple tap-in to net his first goal in 27 appearances. Just when it seemed as if it was City's night, Dejan Kulusevski heroically headed the ball, looping the ball into the goal nine minutes later to make it 3-3.
Manchester City broke on the counter in the 93rd minute with Grealish making a good run. Erling Haaland was fouled but was able to get his long ball into the path of the England international. Despite initially playing an advantage, Simon Hooper shockingly decided to reward City with a free-kick even though Grealish was through on goal.
This led to several reactions from fans online as one fan posted on X:
"REFS RUINING THIS GAME"
Another fan wrote:
"CORRUPT LEAGUE"
As a result of their draw, Manchester City have fallen to third in the Premier League table with 30 points from 14 games, three points behind leaders Arsenal.
Manchester City vs Tottenham Hotspur: Exploring the stats from Premier League thriller
Manchester City succumbed to their third draw in a row in the Premier League as they were held to a 3-3 draw against Tottenham on Sunday. Let's take a look at the stats to see how both teams performed.
The Cityzens dominated possession with 56 percent of the ball. They also attempted a total of 565 passes with an accuracy of 87 percent. In contrast, Tottenham had 44 percent possession and attempted 465 passes with an accuracy of 84 percent.
Pep Guardiola's men also looked more threatening up front, landing a total of 18 shots, with four being on target. However, they were unable to make the most of their chances when they were on top in the game. On the other hand, Tottenham were quite prolific, with their eight shots in total, landing four on target.