Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca is flat out calling it “quite poor” that everyone’s focused on the controversial VAR decision after his side’s 1-0 Premier League win against Manchester United on Sunday. Despite securing a crucial victory, Maresca is steaming that the fallout from Erling Haaland’s disputed goal has completely overshadowed his team’s performance, especially considering they played most of the derby with just 10 men.
The Game Nobody’s Talking About
You’d think winning the Manchester derby at Old Trafford, particularly when your team’s down a man for the majority of the game, would be the big story. But nope. Phil Foden got himself a red card in the 23rd minute for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes, leaving City to battle it out for 70-75 minutes a player short. United even hit the post twice around halftime. Then, on the hour mark, Haaland scored a goal that was initially ruled offside. VAR stepped in, said he was onside, and the goal stood, securing the 1-0 win. Maresca is clearly proud of his squad, calling their performance “unbelievable,” and he’s not wrong. Winning a derby with 10 men? That’s guts.
The VAR Nightmare That Just Won’t Die
Here’s where it gets wild: the referees’ body has since ruled that VAR decision to be incorrect. Yeah, you read that right. Haaland’s goal, which was awarded after VAR ruled he was just onside, shouldn’t have counted. The error? VAR didn’t account for Enzo Fernandez’s offside offense when he was diving at the ball and interfering with opponents. Pro Ref’s chief Howard Webb admitted the VAR official got “super-focused on Haaland” and “didn’t truly evaluate the full impact of Fernandez’s position.” Webb said he was “really disappointed” with the outcome, and that the officials are “hurting now.” Maresca just shrugged, saying “there is knowledge that there was a mistake and that’s all. Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes against you. It’s football.” But don’t think he’s forgotten past wrongs. He quickly pointed out that three years ago, when he was Pep Guardiola’s assistant, a similar non-regular goal against United went against City, and “no one apologised. We are still waiting for the apology for that.” Talk about keeping receipts.
What’s Next for City Amidst the Chaos
Maresca and City have to put this controversy behind them quickly. They’re back in action on Thursday, hosting Norwich City in a Carabao Cup third-round tie. Then, they return to Premier League action against Sunderland on Sunday, September 20. It’s a quick turnaround, and City will need to maintain that “unbelievable” performance Maresca praised, regardless of the VAR drama swirling around them. This team clearly showed grit playing shorthanded, now they just need to prove they can stay focused despite the official headaches.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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