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An Etihad Stadium that appeared close to full sang songs about Guardiola but saw footballers of the class of Gabriel Jesus, Ilkay Gündogan, Fernandinho, Kyle Walker and Raheem Sterling labour. Actual shots were collector’s items from those in sky blue and Southampton were eager to counter-thrust via bursts from Nathan Redmond and Adam Armstrong. Disaster appeared to strike the hosts on the hour when Walker ceded possession and had to scurry back, only to bring Armstrong down. Jonathan Moss gave a penalty and showed Walker a red card. VAR ordered him to the monitor, and the referee decided the right-back crashed into Armstrong as the latter wrapped a leg around the ball, so overturned his decisions. If Moss adjudged this a clear and obvious error, the official may wish to consult a dictionary to reacquaint himself with the terms’ definitions. “We had the feeling it was not a clear, wrong decision,” said the Southampton manager, Ralph Hasenhüttl. “When he has the feeling it is a clear wrong decision he has to
