While Manchester City and Liverpool are very much pitched in a battle on the domestic front, both sides are in Champions League action this evening with the Reds hosting FC Porto at Anfield whilst City have travelled to London to face Spurs.
Jurgen Klopp's side are firmly in control of things against the Portuguese champions leading 2-0 at half-time in the first-leg. But it hasn't been without a large chunk of fortune.
With only five minutes on the clock, the home side took the lead through the rejuvenated Naby Keita, but his effort from the edge of the penalty area took a huge deflection off the legs of Porto's Brazilian defender Militao, looping beyond Iker Casillas and into the Anfield Road net.
Liverpool doubled their lead in the 26th minute when Bobby Firmino tapped into an open goal after a Trent Alexander-Arnold square ball across the penalty area. VAR dispelled any notion of offside, and the system was put into use again moments later when the Liverpool right-back looked to have handled the ball inside his own penalty area.
After deliberation, however, it was decided that the handball could not be deemed deliberate.
In London too, VAR has been at the centre of the first-halves play in the other night's tie.
Manchester City were awarded a controversial penalty early doors when a sliding Danny Rose blocked Raheem Sterling's goal-bound shot with a flailing arm.
Referee Bjorn Kuipers went to the side of the pitch to take a look for himself before pointing to the spot.
Sergio Aguero stepped up looking to give the away side a big advantage in the tie, but his penalty was saved by Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. It remains scoreless at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
