Pep Guardiola's side had a near miss after the goalkeeper's injury, which could have easily been avoided by sensible officiating
The introduction of VAR has changed the face of football more than we could ever have imagined, with the increase in 'correct' decisions coming at a cost of rules – above all on handball – being re-written and re-interpreted.
The jury is still out on whether it has been a good thing for the game and if the ripple effects have been worth it.
But it is becoming increasingly clear that one of the effects of the introduction of technology is a greater risk of injury to players, which was surely not what FIFA had in mind when it introduced VAR in 2018…
GettyTwo injuries in three weeks
The 'delayed offside' protocol, whereby assistants do not immediately raise their flags even when there is a glaringly obvious offside, has long frustrated fans, and many warned from the start that it could lead to a player getting injured.
Manchester City have found out first-hand how real that risk is lately and on Saturday against Newcastle they lost goalkeeper Ederson to injury in a collision with Sean Longstaff after a passage of play which was clearly offside and never should have taken place.
It came just three weeks after John Stones injured his foot after clashing with Everton striker Beto in a incident that only happened because the assistant did not raise his flag despite a clear offside.
City may have won both matches, but each incident had a big impact on the way the games panned out. And everyone in football should be calling for an end to a senseless protocol that is putting players at risk.
AdvertisementGetty Ortega beaten twice in four minutes
City ended up beating Newcastle 3-2 thanks to two moments of brilliance from the returning Kevin De Bruyne, but the champions came close to dropping crucial points in the title race after Ederson was forced off in only the eighth minute.
The Brazilian tried to play on after banging his leg against Longstaff and almost committed a howler moments later when his pass was charged down by Miguel Almiron. That led to Rodri urging Pep Guardiola to take Ederson off immediately.
Stefan Ortega is a solid deputy, but not as good with his feet or arms as Ederson, and conceded twice in the space of three minutes. Both shots from Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon just evaded his grasp and there is an argument that the Brazilian, who is taller than Ortega, would have saved them.
GettyStones still out after senseless injury
City were already weakened by the absence of Stones, who was pivotal to last season's treble success but has had a nightmare season on the injury front. He was just getting back into the swing of things after two long periods out when his ankle was taken out by Beto when play should have been halted at Goodison Park. He has not trained with City since the incident and it is not known when he will return.
Fortunately for City, Ederson's injury does not seem that bad, and although Guardiola explained that the goalkeeper "is not walking well" he said it was only a knock. City also have the good fortune that the injury happened right before their two-week pause in action, meaning Ederson has plenty of time to recover before facing Burnley on January 31.
Guardiola's side also have one of the strongest squads in the league and have managed to stay in the title race despite a litany of injuries to key players, such as De Bruyne missing five months after tearing his hamstring and Erling Haaland's current absence with a foot problem.
Getty ImagesNot the first victims
Other players and teams have not been so fortunate when it comes to injuries caused by poor officiating. Everton's Ben Godfrey broke his leg on the opening day of last season against Chelsea after making a tackle after the ball had clearly gone out of play. He missed over four months of football and Everton only avoided relegation by the skin of their teeth.
In a match against Liverpool in the first season after the protocol was introduced by the Premier League in 2020, Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio was left out cold on the pitch for 10 minutes after banging his head against team-mate Conor Coady as he tried to prevent Mohamed Salah getting to the ball.
Salah was quickly ruled offside, but the flag came far too late and there was genuine concern for Patricio's wellbeing, with Jurgen Klopp calling it "an awful situation" and "a proper shock".
The goalkeeper ended up making a speedy recovery and Wolves' then-manager Nuno Espirito Santo did not want to blame officials for the injury, saying it could have happened in any phase of play.