4 January 2005 - Mendes Denied

On 4 January 2005, Tottenham were denied three points when a Pedro Mendes goal against Manchester United wasn't given, despite the ball being a full meter over the line. The match ended as a scoreless draw.

The two teams met at Old Trafford with Spurs having won six of their previous seven to rise from 15th in the league to 7th. United were on a similar streak, holding down 3rd place after winning eight of the last nine matches. The hosts controlled most of the match, enjoying the better of possession and taking a handful of decent shots, but were repeatedly denied by Spurs keeper Paul Robinson.

Spurs had a few chances of their own, but the day's most memorable moment came in the 89th minute. Mendes, seeing United keeper Roy Carroll off his line, fired a shot from near the midfield line. Carroll raced back and appeared to catch the ball easily, but dropped it. It bounced into the goal, crossing well over the line, as Carroll scrambled to knock it away. Unfortuately for the visitors, neither referee Mark Clattenburg nor linesman Ray Lewis saw the ball clear the line, so neither awarded the goal and the match ended 0-0.

Ultimately, it had little impact on either club, as United finished in 3rd separated by several points on both sides and Spurs ended up in 9th, though the extra two points would have pushed them up to 8th.

4 January 2005 - Mendes Denied

On 4 January 2005, Tottenham were denied three points when a Pedro Mendes goal against Manchester United wasn't given, despite the ball being a full meter over the line. The match ended as a scoreless draw.

The two teams met at Old Trafford with Spurs having won six of their previous seven to rise from 15th in the league to 7th. United were on a similar streak, holding down 3rd place after winning eight of the last nine matches. The hosts controlled most of the match, enjoying the better of possession and taking a handful of decent shots, but were repeatedly denied by Spurs keeper Paul Robinson.

Spurs had a few chances of their own, but the day's most memorable moment came in the 89th minute. Mendes, seeing United keeper Roy Carroll off his line, fired a shot from near the midfield line. Carroll raced back and appeared to catch the ball easily, but dropped it. It bounced into the goal, crossing well over the line, as Carroll scrambled to knock it away. Unfortuately for the visitors, neither referee Mark Clattenburg nor linesman Ray Lewis saw the ball clear the line, so neither awarded the goal and the match ended 0-0.

The missed goal sparked cries for the use of goal-line technology, but FIFA has so far resisted any such move. And, ultimately, it had little impact on either club, as United finished in 3rd separated by several points on both sides and Spurs ended up in 9th, though the extra two points would have pushed them up to 8th.

23 August 2006 - If You Can't Beat Him To The Ball, Just Beat Him

On 23 August 2006, a match between Manchester City and Portsmouth took a dark turn when City defender Ben Thatcher knocked Portsmouth midfielder Pedro Mendes unconscious with an elbow to the head.

It was the second league match of the season for both teams, with City reeling from a 3-0 loss at Chelsea on opening day. But Thatcher, who had joined City from Leicester in 2004, had already made headlines for violent conduct after elbowing an opponent in a preseason match in China earlier that month. That player, Shanghai Shenhua's Yang Chungang, suffered a collapsed lung as a result.

Against Portsmouth at the City of Manchester Stadium, the first half was a tepid affair with neither side managing to create much of a threat. The mood quickly changed after the break, however, sparked by Thatcher's challenge. Beaten to a loose ball by Mendes near the touchline, Thatcher jumped up and swung his forearm forward, smashing his elbow into Mendes's face. The midfielder collapsed and slid into the side hoardings, then was carried off to the hospital.

The match official issued a yellow card to Thatcher, but the punishment did not end there. After reviewing the incident, Manchester City suspended Thatcher for six matches (two suspended) and fined him six weeks' wages. The FA also took action, issuing a separate eight-match ban and a suspended 15-match ban lasting two years. Mendes was released from the hospital after a day and received a written apology from Thatcher.

While that match ended as a scoreless draw, Portsmouth won the rematch at Fratton Park and finished ninth, while City ended the season five spots lower.