Such is the disquiet with VAR that Tottenham Hotspur fans gave their Sheffield United counterparts a round of applause when the visiting supporters loudly vented their frustration at the technology on Saturday.

The Video Assistant Referee system had helped preserve the lead Son Heung-Min gave Tottenham in the 58th minute. But few in the ground could understand why David McGoldrick's equaliser minutes later had been disallowed.

It seemed a clear-cut goal when Sheffield's McGoldrick tapped home Enda Stevens's cross, but when referee Graham Scott put his finger to his ear the visiting fans' celebrations were put on hold.

Nearly four minutes later the goal was ruled out, apparently because during the build-up John Lundstram's big toe had been offside by half the width of a shoelace, if that.

Had George Baldock's later equaliser, which also went to VAR, been ruled out too it would have been an injustice for Chris Wilder's side who were worth at least a 1-1 draw.

Sheffield United are riding high in the top six after a superb start to life back in the Premier League.

But rather than wax lyrical about the way his side outplayed Tottenham, especially in the first half, Wilder was left to offer his thoughts on the VAR system that is leaving fans, players and managers scratching their heads on a weekly basis.

"If it's offside then we have to deal with it," Wilder said.

- ESPN Premier League fantasy: Sign up now!

- VAR in the Premier League: Ultimate guide

- When does the transfer window reopen?

- Premier League winter break: All you need to know

But even on video replay it was almost impossible to tell whether Lundstram had indeed been offside.

Wilder said that even if he had been, the question was at which point the referee had deemed it a new phase of play, as the apparent offence happened early in the move that eventually saw the ball end up in the Spurs net.

"It's just confusion from our point of view," Wilder said. "It's gone down the right, it's been crossed, it's come back out, and where does it get re-set to go again?

"The length of the stoppage doesn't do anybody any good. Managers, players and supporters. They told us it must be clear and obvious (to be offside). I'm just glad the second goal was given, because after the big delay for the first goal all kinds of things are going through my coconut on the second one.

"[VAR] is here to aid referees. It affects the game. The length of time it takes. We need to have a big look at it in the summer. It's here to stay, but there were always going to be these issues, but it's going to have to run its course."

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino was sympathetic, having seen Son have a legitimate-looking goal ruled out at Leicester City earlier this season.

"The referee can make a mistake, but with VAR it is difficult to accept this type of situation and I empathise with Chris when the decision and the line is so thin," he said.

"I told you my feelings when things were for us and against us. I am not going to talk in a different way. With the VAR it is difficult to understand for sure."

Manchester City took the derby spoils with a 3-1 victory over rivals Manchester United thanks to goals from David Silva, Sergio Aguero and Ilkay Gundogan, with Anthony Martial pulling one back for the visitors.

Jose Mourinho was unable to name Paul Pogba in his starting line-up due to injury, which meant a place for Marouane Fellaini -- and Romelu Lukaku was welcomed back into the squad, having missed the past two matches, but only on the bench. Pep Guardiola, meanwhile, brought Aguero back into his team in place of midweek hat-trick hero Gabriel Jesus.

As has been commonplace in recent weeks, United started the game slowly, while City came racing out of the blocks -- and were a goal ahead after 12 minutes.

The hosts created an opening on the left as David Silva fed Raheem Sterling and the England international hit a cross which evaded everyone -- aside from Bernardo Silva who had tracked the flight of the ball and kept it in play at the back post. The ex-Monaco man then knocked it back into the box to his namesake David, who showed great composure to cut inside a slot past David De Gea.

Had the goal not been given, it is likely the referee would have awarded a penalty after Chris Smalling had pulled down Aguero.

City looked like they could cut through United at will down their left, with Benjamin Mendy, Sterling and David Silva combining well to make life difficult for makeshift right-back Ashley Young. However, they failed to carve out another real opening before half-time.

But they didn't need to wait long for a second as Aguero made it 2-0 just three minutes into the second half, powering past De Gea, who was beaten far too easily at his near post.

Mourinho reacted by sending Lukaku to warm up before calling upon him on 57 minutes and the Belgian immediately proved his worth as he was brought down by the on-rushing Ederson for a penalty, which Martial converted to give the visitors hope of another comeback victory at the Etihad.

However, Ilkay Gundogan took advantage of lax defending to finish a 44-pass move and make it 3-1 to hand City a first home derby victory in four years which sees them return to the top of the table.

United, meanwhile, stay eighth -- seven points adrift of Tottenham in fourth place.

Arsenal fell to their third Premier League defeat of the season as Leicester's second-half surge secured a 2-0 win for the hosts at the King Power Stadium.

After a goalless opening 55 minutes, in which both sides had chances, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had a goal chalked off for offside, which was the cue for Leicester to take charge. Jamie Vardy opened the scoring and then laid on a second for James Maddison.

Positives

The form and confidence of Mesut Ozil will please many fans, and perhaps even his manager Unai Emery. Playing in an advanced central role, Ozil looked dangerous and creative, providing some consolation to those who have been calling for him to be more involved in recent weeks.

Negatives

Hector Bellerin returned for the first time in 10 months and showed some signs of rustiness; he will improve with game time, though. Of greater concern, beyond the fact that Arsenal are winless away from home in the league since opening day, will be the sheer number of fouls conceded in dangerous areas, which demonstrate how Arsenal's midfield struggled to control the game from central positions.

Manager rating out of 10

6 -- Ozil apart, there was another experimental formation from Emery and while a defensive back three did appear more solid initially, old frailties were exposed as the game wore on. The defence was not helped by the lack of midfield support, as Guendouzi and Torreira found themselves outnumbered on numerous occasions.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Bernd Leno, 6 -- The German stopper had a mixed afternoon. While he was quick to deal with crosses, his distribution was suspect on occasions. Additionally, Leno may feel he was slow to get across his goal for Vardy's opener.

DF Hector Bellerin, 5 -- Endured a tough first half, playing his first league game in 10 months. He was often not helped by his teammates, but stray passes throughout the game showed his rust and lack of match fitness. When going forward, however, he looked more assured.

DF Rob Holding, 5 -- Another difficult match for the central defender, who was slow to react on a couple of occasions, with one incident almost leading to a goal. Arsenal's move to a back three doesn't appear to have made Holding any more comfortable.

DF David Luiz, 6 -- As we have come to expect, the Brazilian's distribution was exemplary and playing in a defensive three appeared to suit Luiz, who can look more exposed when only playing alongside one other centre-back.

DF Calum Chambers, 6 -- Arguably Arsenal's best defender throughout the first half, but the second period brought greater challenges and he failed pick Vardy up for Leicester's opening goal.

DF Sead Kolasinac, 6 -- Much like his full-back partner, Kolasinac was guilty of giving the ball away cheaply and too often was caught out positionally. In an attacking sense, he added width and linked up well with Aubameyang.

MF Lucas Torreira, 6 -- A shaky evening from the holding midfielder, who was guilty of giving away free kicks in dangerous areas too often. Likewise, his passing was loose at times, as Emery's midfield pair struggled to control the game.

MF Matteo Guendouzi, 5 -- Wasteful in possession at times and perhaps fortunate in the first half not to give away a penalty for pulling back Soyuncu from a free kick. A bad display from Guendouzi.

MF Mesut Ozil, 7 -- The opinion-splitting German playmaker showed his creative best in spells, linking with Arsenal's two forwards in a No. 10 position that provided the 31-year-old with freedom and creative licence.

FW Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, 7 -- The prolific forward was incredibly influential early on. Not content to simply wait for the ball, the Gabonese star was running down the channels, as well as dropping deep to assist in the build-up play. A good outing from Arsenal's most potent goal threat, who had a goal denied in the second half after being ruled offside.

FW Alexandre Lacazette, 6 -- The French international could have done a bit better with a couple of half chances. He, Aubameyang and Ozil look to have potential as a forward trio, but the second half of this game highlighted that they need more time to truly flourish.

Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry has been diagnosed with a fracture of the distal phalanx of his left thumb and will be reevaluated in two weeks, the team announced Saturday.

With the two-week timetable, Lowry will miss the Raptors' first game against Kawhi Leonard and the LA Clippers.

Lowry suffered the injury in Toronto's 122-104 win over New Orleans on Friday night.

The Raptors also lost Serge Ibaka to injury on Friday. He sprained his right ankle and will be out indefinitely, the team said.

Ibaka will undergo more imaging while the Raptors are in Los Angeles as part of a five-game road trip.

Both athletes retain their senior titles at a rainy Teardrop Lakes

Mahamed Mahamed made it three wins in succession at a rainswept Teardrop Lakes, when he burst away from a group of four near the end of the third lap of the senior men’s race to improve on his opening British Athletics Cross Challenge second place.

Early morning good weather had given way to rain by the time that the senior races began with the women’s race.

There, it was Kate Avery who came out on top as Amy Griffiths and Bronwen Owen followed as Emily Hosker-Thornhill, fastest in the mud at Mansfield the previous week, was also in contention.

The Aldershot runner was a late entry here but had an unlucky time as she twisted an ankle before trailing in fourth.

Avery and Griffiths are training partners at Loughborough and treated the early exchanges as a bit of a regular training, albeit  an intense outing.

The men’s race was steady at the start with a group of 20 or so at the head of the field on the first small lap, with Mahamed jogging along near the back of the pack.

It began to break on the second lap before four got away. Along with the Southampton runner were Sam Stabler and Jack Gray, who both had good outings at Mansfield, and surprise packet Tom Evans.

The Lewes runner is acknowledged as an ultra distance trail specialist after just three years running.

Stabler had to take avoiding action as a back marker hindered his passage on the last lap but finally it was Mahamed’s speed that saw victory over Stabler and Evans as Gray took fourth.

Earlier, Mahamed’s brother Zakariya had missed the start of the U20/U17 race which was marred by the leaders being temporally sent the wrong way before Matt Willis made the most of his luck in not losing as much as original leader Joe Wigfield, to take the race.

The junior women’s event saw Eloise Walker take the race as fourth-placed Kirsten Stilwell took the U17 plaudits.

Kiya Dee and Chris Perkins won the U15 races, while U13 victories were claimed by Zoe Gilbody and Alden Collier. Raphie London and Elsie Jacobs won the U11 races.

SPEED SPORT’s Jacob Seelman caught up with the champion of the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions, Aaron Reutzel Friday during the Can-Am World Finals. They touched on a number of topics, including Reutzel’s desire to one day run the full World of Outlaws schedule.

ANTALYA, Turkey – Matthias Schwab extended his lead to three shots with a 6-under 66 in the third round of the Turkish Airlines Open on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Austrian has a tour-best nine top-10 finishes this season. He had led overnight by one stroke as he chases his first European Tour title.

For the second straight day, Schwab started with an eagle and also had six birdies and one double bogey.

''I got off to a really nice start on the first hole with the eagle that I made and then played solid golf all around except for that one little hiccup,'' said Schwab, who has an 18-under 198 total. ''The game plan is going to be the same as it's been the last three days. The course is gettable and there are a lot of birdies out there, so I'll just stay aggressive because pars won't be enough.''

Patrick Reed shot his second straight 65 to join a group of five players in second place on 15 under at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal. The others are: England's Ross Fisher (68) and Tyrrell Hatton (65), Scotland's Robert MacIntyre (67), and France's Benjamin Hebert (64).

''Any time you shoot 65, you're happy. There's a lot I left out there today,'' Reed said.

Two-time defending champion Justin Rose shot a 1-over 73 and is nine strokes off the pace.

England's Eddie Pepperell did not even finish his round and was disqualified for failing to complete the fourth hole, his 13th of the day.

Pepperell was 2 over for the round after dropping shots on the second and third and then hit his approach to the next into the water guarding the green. In a scene reminiscent of the ''Tin Cup'' film, Pepperell had several more attempts – even his caddie could not say for certain whether it was four or five – before informing playing partners Martin Kaymer and George Coetzee that he had run out of balls.

Former teen running star Mary Cain's account this week of body-shaming and alleged psychological abuse at the recently disbanded Nike Oregon Project is prompting other top athletes to come forward.

Amy Yoder Begley, a 10,000-meter runner, said Friday that she was told she had the "biggest butt on the starting line." Kara Goucher's husband said the Olympian endured "disgusting" comments from coaches.

Nike says it's investigating, but the cascade of allegations that have followed Oregon Project director Alberto Salazar's four-year doping ban have some in the sport saying a day of reckoning was long overdue.

Questions about Salazar's methods with his posse of top U.S. runners had swirled for years before the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency found him guilty last month of conducting experiments with supplements and testosterone that were bankrolled and supported by Nike.

But Cain's plaintive story of harassment and abuse while she was part of Salazar's training group, which she joined as a 17-year-old phenomenon in 2013, has emboldened other former Nike Oregon Project athletes to share their stories.

In a New York Times video essay, Cain, now 23, says: "I was emotionally and physically abused by a system designed by Alberto and endorsed by Nike."

Cain said she was harangued to lose weight and publicly humiliated when she didn't hit targets, stopped having her period for three years, and lost so much bone density she broke five bones. She said it got to the point where she started cutting herself and having suicidal thoughts. She left the program in 2016.

Salazar, who has denied any involvement in doping, issued a statement to The Oregonian on Friday saying: "I never encouraged her, or worse yet, shamed her, to maintain an unhealthy weight."

Nike said in a statement these are "deeply troubling allegations which have not been raised by Mary or her parents before. Mary was seeking to rejoin the Oregon Project and Alberto's team as recently as April of this year and had not raised these concerns as part of that process."

Cain acknowledged looking to work with Salazar again, noting she did so because "when we let people emotionally break us, we crave their approval more than anything." She said Salazar's doping ban helped her find the clarity to speak out about the abusive conditions.

The sportswear giant also said it will "take the allegations extremely seriously and will launch an immediate investigation to hear from former Oregon Project athletes."

They're already talking.

Four-time Olympian Shalane Flanagan, who retired from competitive running last month to become a coach with the Nike Bowerman Track Club, tweeted to Cain that "I had no idea it was this bad." Flanagan, the 2017 New York City Marathon champion, is a longtime Nike runner but was never part of the Oregon Project.

"I'm so sorry ... that I never reached out to you when I saw you struggling," Flanagan wrote. "I made excuses to myself as to why I should mind my own business. We let you down. I will never turn my head again."

Yoder Begley, who now coaches the Atlanta Track Club, said she was kicked out of Salazar's group after placing sixth in the 10,000 meters at the 2011 national championships.

"I was told I was too fat and 'had the biggest butt on the starting line.' This brings those painful memories back," the 2008 Olympian said.

Goucher, a former Oregon Project runner who helped provide evidence for USADA's case against Salazar, tweeted "the culture was unbearable."

Her husband, Adam Goucher, who also ran for the group, tweeted that after she placed fifth in the 2011 Boston Marathon in a personal best of 2 hours, 24 minutes -- one of the fastest times for an American woman that year, and six months after having a child -- Salazar and a sports psychologist told her mother and sister she needed to lose her baby weight if she wanted to be fast again.

Thank you @runmarycain for sharing your story. While my weight was also an issue while at NOP, it was disgusting to see the way @karagoucher and @yoderbegley bodies were talked about. Maybe now some of you can see why I had so much anger when we left NOP.

— Adam Goucher (@Adam_Goucher) November 8, 2019

So many stories but one jumps to mind. After the Boston marathon in 2011, where my wife @karagoucher placed 5th in 2:24 6(!) months after giving birth to our son, both Alberto and Darren Treasure went up to my mother-in-law and sister-in-law and said,

— Adam Goucher (@Adam_Goucher) November 8, 2019

"Don't tell Kara, but she is still too heavy. She needs to lose her baby weight if she wants to be fast again." Kara had GIVEN BIRTH 6 months prior and just ran 2:24. No celebration on her tremendous run, just judgement on her body.

— Adam Goucher (@Adam_Goucher) November 8, 2019

Adam Goucher said his own weight was also an issue while he trained under Salazar.

Eddie Pepperell was disqualified from the Turkish Airlines Open on Saturday when he ran out of golf balls.

The English pro who was competing in the European Tour event hit as many as five golf balls -- his playing partners were unsure -- into the water on the par-5 fourth hole at the Montgomerie Maxx Royal course during the third round of the $7 million tournament.

He was grouped with former U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer of Germany and South Africa's George Coetzee.

"Eddie hit his shots to the green, then came over to tell us he had run out of balls," Kaymer told reporters in Turkey. "Then he walked off. I thought he lost four or five. We are about 80% sure it was five, 20 percent%. He was quick, so it was hard to keep track. He did not ask if he could borrow one from me or George. It did not look like he wanted to play. He did not putt with his putter on the third hole; he putted with a wedge. So there was a lot happening.

"I have never seen anything like that before. I only watched it on television, in 'Tin Cup.' This is the first time I have seen it live."

The official reason for being disqualified was "failure to complete a hole." Pepperell could have borrowed a ball from Kaymer or Coetzee and faced a two-shot penalty -- in addition to all the strokes and penalty strokes for hitting into the water so many times -- if it was not the same type of ball he had used.

But Pepperell would have faced disqualification for violating the one-ball rule had he not been able to get the same ball he had been playing with prior to the teeing off on the next hole.

Pepperell was 41st in the Race to Dubai standings entering the event and assured of qualifying for the next tournament, the Nedbank Golf Challenge, which takes the top 60 as the European Tour concludes its season in Dubai in two weeks.