Manchester City kept up their pursuit of leaders Liverpool with a routine 2-0 win at Crystal Palace on a day when VAR stole the Premier League headlines with a series of decisions that left supporters baffled and managers incensed, reports Reuters.
The confusion was greatest at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium where the big screen flashed up that VAR had disallowed Dele Alli’s equaliser in the 1-1 draw with Watford, only for the referee to signal that the goal stood.
Technology also denied Burnley an equaliser in a 2-1 defeat at Leicester City, Wolverhampton Wanderers two goals in their 1-1 draw with Southampton, and Aston Villa an opener in their 2-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion.
Less controversially, Chelsea beat Newcastle United 1-0 and Everton overturned West Ham United 2-0 while the game between Bournemouth and Norwich City ended goalless.
There was little to dispute in Manchester City’s win at Palace which, with Liverpool resting ahead of Sunday’s trip to Manchester United, cut the gap at the top to five points.
Gabriel Jesus and David Silva netted twice inside a minute for City, who returned to winning ways after two defeats in four league games.
The visitors should have had more, with Raheem Sterling particularly wasteful, but victory came with the bonus of a cameo showing from fit-again John Stones, whose return will ease their defensive crisis.
Spurs, who had conceded 10 goals in their previous two games, looked to be heading for a fifth defeat in six matches after Abdoulaye Doucoure put Watford ahead.
But Alli took advantage of a flap by keeper Ben Foster on 86 minutes and put the ball in the net after it brushed his shoulder.
