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‘I thought VAR was here to help’ Sterling rues penalty decision

Raheem Sterling, Manchester City
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Raheem Sterling was left incredulous as a late penalty decision went against him in Manchester City’s defeat to Chelsea.

Raheem Sterling was left to rue a late penalty that went against him as Manchester City crashed to a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea on Saturday.

The England international had put Pep Guardiola’s men ahead before the break, and on course for the Premier League, before Chelsea launched a second-half comeback at the Etihad.

After Sergio Aguero’s failed Panenka penalty attempt, Hakim Ziyech and Marcos Alonso scored to hand City a second consecutive home defeat.

However, when the score was still level at 1-1, Kurt Zouma’s challenge on Sterling inside the box late in the match went unpunished.

“For me, I couldn’t get a shot off because he’s put his knee on the back of my hamstring,” Sterling told Sky Sports.

“I don’t know how it’s not a penalty, I don’t know how it’s not been reviewed properly. The ref said it’s been reviewed but at the end of the day, personally, I knew it was a penalty. I thought the VAR was here to help but it wasn’t meant to be.

“He said to me that it’s been checked, it’s been cleared, it’s not a penalty but for me it was a sure penalty.”

Sterling and City return to action on Friday night for a trip to Newcastle United in the Premier League.

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