Three minutes into stoppage time, Manchester City forward Raheem Sterling slid across the pitch and puffed his chest to the crowd, roaring in elation.

Tottenham players collapsed to the turf, some flat on their backs, forlorn and heartbroken.

From the brink of Champions League elimination, Manchester City was celebrating its passage to the semifinals on Wednesday.

But not for long.

As City manager Pep Guardiola was leaping on the touchline, the video screen flashed "VAR review" and the stadium fell silent as Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir received updates in his ear from the video assistant referee checking replays.

When Christian Eriksen's misplaced back-pass deflected off Bernardo Silva into the path of Sergio Aguero, the City striker was offside before setting up Sterling in the penalty area.

"It's cruel," Guardiola said afterwards.

"I support VAR. It's just to see the goal from (Fernando) Llorente is handball. From one angle it looks like handball, from the angle the referee saw it doesn't," said Guardiola.

"I'm fine for the fair football, for the fair decisions. If it's offside, it's offside. In the future, even the present, it will be fair."

There would be no eighth goal on this breathtaking night of epic drama. Tottenham advanced on away goals following a 4-3 loss that left the teams tied 4-4 on aggregate and crushed City's dream of a quadruple.

Guardiola, a Champions League-winning coach with Lionel Messi's Barcelona in 2009 and 2011, failed to reach the semifinals for the sixth straight time, his third with City after three misses with Bayern Munich.

Instead, Tottenham reached its first European Cup semifinal in 57 years and will play Ajax.

Liverpool meets Barcelona following a 6-1 aggregate win over Porto, giving England multiple clubs in the semifinals for the first time since Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea in 2009.

Tottenham advanced thanks to Llorente's hip, which nudged the ball into the net in the 73rd minute for a goal that survived the VAR review.

It proved to be the last goal of the night after VAR ruled out Sterling's injury-time strike.

"That is why we love football, we feel the passion," Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said. "We enjoy watching football, anything can happen.

"Today we showed our great character, great personality. To score three goals against Manchester City is not easy."

Not when top-scorer Harry Kane was out through injury. Not when the midfield options were so depleted that an injury to Moussa Sissoko before halftime forced Pochettino to bring on out-of-favor center forward Llorente.

Tottenham will play the first leg against Ajax without Son Heungmin-Kane's understudy. Son scored the first two goals, then picked up a booking for a foul on Kevin De Bruyne that earned him a one-game suspension.

The South Korean showed just how influential he is for Tottenham in a scintillating start.

Four goals in the opening 11 minutes. The fifth in the 21st minute, after five shots on target.

"The first 10 minutes of this game and the last five was fairytale stuff," said Spurs midfielder Eriksen.

Sterling put City ahead in the fourth minute. Son then netted twice to put City in a position where it had to score three more goals to advance.

City did just that to take a 4-2 lead, only for Llorente-and the VAR-to have the last say.

"It was a very tough game, a very crazy game," Son said.

"We are very proud of our teammates and I think it's an unbelievable night. Sometimes you are annoyed with VAR, but today it is a case of, 'Thank you and good decision.'"

Sterling got the action started when he received the ball from De Bruyne and evaded Kieran Trippier before bending into the corner past Hugo Lloris.

Within three minutes, Tottenham regained its aggregate advantage after Aymeric Laporte's clearance from Lucas Moura's through-ball set up Son to level.

Laporte was again at fault when he gave the ball away in the 10th minute on the halfway line, setting Moura free to tee up Son to put Tottenham 2-1 up.

Not for long. Barely a minute.

Bernardo Silva was left in space on the right flank poke through Danny Rose's legs in the 21st minute.

"I looked at Pep, and we both said, 'Unbelievable!'" said Pochettino.

After that dizzying spell, there was a full 10 minutes before the ball ended up in the net again.

A back-heel from Silva set up De Bruyne, who crossed for Sterling to slide in at the back post.

City 3, Tottenham 2.

Five goals in 21 minutes, but with Tottenham still going through thanks to Son's first-leg marker.

The second half began with a City onslaught but Lloris' diving save kept out Sterling's low shot and a one-handed save palmed an effort from De Bruyne around the post.

The first flickers of a Spurs threat in the second half came when Llorente dived in with a header, but it lacked power and was blocked by goalkeeper Ederson.

The momentum swung again when City notched its fourth goal in the 59th minute.

Ilkay Gundogan's cross-field pass landed at the feet of De Bruyne, who drove forward before slipping the ball through to Aguero, who beat Lloris at his near post with a powerful shot.

For the first time on the night, City was in front on aggregate and on course for its second Champions League semifinal.

But the host couldn't close the deal.

When Trippier whipped in a corner, Llorente rose and turned the ball into the net with his hip.

The celebrations were put on hold when the referee went to the touchline to check if the ball came off Llorente's arm, but the goal stood.

As the Premier League champion chased the goal that would send them through, Aguero had a header saved by Lloris and an effort from Gundogan was scooped over.

When Sterling found the net again, VAR intervened to leave the home fans crushed-after a long wait for Cakir's final decision.

Guardiola's side was knocked out of a competition for the first time this season after a title in the League Cup and advancement to the FA Cup final while challenging Liverpool for the league title.

In the Premier League, Tottenham sits third in the standings, just a point above north London rival Arsenal. Coping without any new signings this season, the team is fighting for a top-four finish that would earn qualification for next season's Champions League.

Spurs will qualify anyway if they win Europe's top title for the first time.

City and Spurs meet again at Etihad Stadium on Saturday when the Londoners could deliver a major blow to the Sky Blues' title hopes.

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