Paul Merson admits he is ‘unsure’ about Llorente’s goal and his early substitution after Tottenham Hotspur progress to the Champions League semi-final

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Fernando Llorente proved to be the difference-maker as Tottenham Hotspur reached the last four of the Champions League.

Paul Merson has admitted that he was left questioning Mauricio Pochettino’s decision to bring on Fernando Llorente for the injured Moussa Sissoko during Tottenham’s dramatic encounter against Manchester City on Wednesday night.

The Sky Sports pundit also claimed that he is ‘unsure’ about Llorente’s goal which proved to be the difference-maker as Mauricio Pochettino’s side knocked City out of the Champions League.

Speaking on the Debate on Sky Sports News (17/04/2019 10:10 pm), Merson offered his honest thoughts on whether Llorente’s goal hit his arm and Pochettino’s decision to bring him on for a defensive midfielder in the first-half.

On Llorente’s goal: “I’m still not sure Llorente’s hasn’t hit his arm because of the way the muscle moved in his arm,” Merson told the Debate. “I am not sure about that. There was another angle that it did look like it did [hit his arm]. But it didn’t feel like it went in like that. It’s not in an unusual position.

On Llorente’s early substitution: “To be fair when he put Llorente on I was sitting there thinking, ‘I’m not sure about this. This is early’. There was no get out. I would have probably gone Son up front and added a bit of pace or Moura up front. And try to pin the back a bit. But because Llorente come on, they could squeeze Man City and anything over the top wasn’t going to hurt them. In the end, it paid off… fair play Pochettino.”

There were five goals scored in the first 30 minutes in what was an action-packed and fast-paced European encounter. Despite holding a 3-2 lead in the second leg, Spurs still had the advantage on away goals.

After the break, Pep Guardiola’s side pushed their opponents back and scored a deserved fourth goal of the night through Sergio Aguero following a brilliant run from Kevin de Bruyne.

But not long after, Llorente rose highest from a corner to put the tie back in his team’s favour with VAR checking and allowing the goal after replays seemingly showed that it brushed his arm as it went into the net.

The drama was not over yet because in stoppage-time, Raheem Sterling thought he had won the game for his side, only for his goal to be ruled offside to the delight of the Tottenham players, staff and fans.