Manchester City left Old Trafford with the derby and three points after Erling Haaland’s lone goal sealed a 1-0 win, though the match will be remembered as much for two disputed decisions as for the finishing.
Haaland settles Manchester derby amid VAR anger
SEO Title: Manchester City beat Manchester United as Haaland scores derby winner
SEO Description: Erling Haaland’s goal gave Manchester City a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford, where Phil Foden’s red card and a disputed offside call dominated the debate.
Haaland provided the decisive moment, but Manchester United’s frustration centred on the build-up. Enzo Fernández was judged not to have interfered with play despite challenging for the ball before the Norwegian struck.
United believed Fernández’s involvement should have brought an offside flag, even though he did not make contact with the ball. The position of the line used in the decision also drew criticism after the final whistle.
Michael Carrick said the line appeared “a little questionable” and called the interpretation of the incident worrying. “How you can say Enzo Fernández is not interfering with play is beyond me,” he said. “It is astonishing. I found the way it was interpreted really strange. I could not understand it when I saw it, and the explanation made it worse.”
Foden dismissal changes the shape of the match
City were also reduced to 10 men when Phil Foden was sent off for kicking Bruno Fernandes in the groin. The red card itself was a straightforward punishment for violent conduct, but it irritated Enzo Maresca’s side because Fernandes had made a small off-the-ball contact with Foden moments earlier.
That earlier incident came in the 47th minute, with Foden already on the turf following a foul by the Portuguese midfielder. City felt Fernandes’ action had gone unpunished before the confrontation that led to Foden’s dismissal.
In the end, Haaland’s goal stood and City carried the result away from Old Trafford. United, meanwhile, were left with a derby defeat and a familiar sort of post-match argument: the one about where the officials had drawn the line.
