Pep Guardiola admits he's 'never trusted' VAR as Man City try to avoid losing title race on 'flip of a coin'

The Manchester City boss has made his feelings clear on the technology that has once again taken centre stage in the English top flight. After seeing title rivals Arsenal benefit from a major decision against West Ham over the weekend, Guardiola was quick to distance his side’s ambitions from the hands of the officials. The City manager has long been a sceptic of the system and believes that relying on the VAR booth is a recipe for disaster in high-stakes moments.

"I never trust anything since they (VAR) arrived a long time ago," Guardiola said. "Always I learned you have do it better, do it better, be in a position to do it better because you blame yourself with what you have to do, because [VAR] is a flip of a coin." He urged his squad to focus on their own performances to ensure their fate is not decided by a subjective review in Stockley Park.

The tension in the title race reached fever pitch after the Gunners maintained their title push with a narrow 1-0 victory over West Ham. The Hammers thought they had snatched an equaliser through Callum Wilson in stoppage time, but the goal was chalked off after a lengthy review. VAR official Darren England advised referee Chris Kavanagh to check the monitor, eventually ruling that Pablo Felipe had fouled David Raya in the build-up.

That decision left Arsenal five points clear of City at the summit, though the Citizens do hold a game in hand. For Guardiola, it was another example of why he refuses to put his faith in the league’s institutional rulings. “One is a job for the institutions that rule the competition,” he added, suggesting his focus remains purely on the pitch.

Guardiola’s lack of trust comes from bitter personal experience in domestic finals, as he pointed to the last two FA Cup finals as evidence of where the system has failed his team. In 2024, the City boss was left fuming after Erling Haaland was brought down by Lisandro Martinez without a penalty being awarded, and later felt his star striker was being held by Kobbie Mainoo during a corner in the 2-1 loss to Manchester United. He also referenced the 2025 final where Crystal Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson appeared to handle the ball outside the area but escaped punishment.

“We lost the two finals of the FA Cup because the referees didn’t do their jobs they should do, even the VAR. When this happens it is because we have to do better, not the referees or VAR,” Guardiola insisted.

With a trip to Crystal Palace up next on Wednesday night before City turn their attention to another FA Cup final date against Chelsea, Guardiola is demanding total concentration from his players to ensure they don't slip up while chasing Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side. Despite the noise surrounding VAR, the manager is determined to keep the blinkers on. “Always when I said to the players when I arrived here and Bayern Munich and Barcelona – do it, do it, do it better,” he said regarding his philosophy of self-reliance. “I always learned that when you lose the focus, you are in a dangerous situation. The only thing we can do is do it better, that is only in your control. You have to do better and better for yourself, and that is focusing on Crystal Palace for us.”