Champions League failures haunt Guardiola as Man City fall short again

Another season will pass without Champions League glory for Pep Guardiola's Manchester City, but few will forget the manner in which the quest for a historic quadruple was ended by a combination of Tottenham Hotspur and VAR.

Spurs survived a seven-goal thriller on Wednesday night at the Etihad, losing the battle 4-3 but winning the war on away goals thanks to their 1-0 victory in the first leg a titanic quarter-final tie.

A match that saw City lead 1-0, trail 2-1, then forge ahead 4-2 to lead the tie for the first time before Fernando Llorente's controversial decisive goal was allowed to stand after a VAR check for handball, brought one final twist in stoppage time.

Guardiola scampered down the touchline in celebration when Raheem Sterling thought he had completed his hat-trick with the goal to take City into the semi-finals for just the second time.

Seconds later, delirium turned to disbelief, as Guardiola sank to his knees in the realisation that VAR had revealed an offside earlier in the move.

Guardiola described the exit as "cruel."
-- Brilliant assists --
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"But others, even David Silva, could have made way. You wonder if there can ever be a right time to omit a fit De Bruyne when you marvelled at his hat-trick of assists here."