Erling Haaland scored the only goal as City beat Manchester United 1-0 in Sunday’s derby, then had to apologise to Premier League TV after photobombing their broadcast.
The Norwegian struck midway through the second half to settle the contest, before finding himself in the background of a Premier League TV segment featuring Owen Hargreaves.
Haaland apologises after Manchester derby goal
Haaland’s derby-day mischief did not end on the pitch. Shortly after full-time, the striker posted a selfie on Instagram with the simple caption “Nice.” Eagle-eyed viewers spotted him lurking behind Hargreaves during a live Premier League TV broadcast, and the account’s social media team flagged the moment to Haaland directly.
He replied with a single word: “sorry”, according to the Manchester Evening News report. The lighthearted exchange quickly circulated among supporters, adding a playful footnote to a tense afternoon at the Etihad.
Haaland speaks out on offside VAR decision and Maresca reaction
The winning goal itself was not straightforward. Haaland turned home Josko Gvardiol’s cross, only for the linesman to raise his flag for offside. VAR intervened, confirming Haaland was in fact behind Patrick Dorgu and that Enzo Fernandez had not interfered with play, and the goal was awarded.
Pro Ref subsequently acknowledged the mistake, reaching out to Manchester United to admit an “error of judgment” over the initial call, per the Manchester Evening News.
Haaland addressed the confusion in his post-match comments, revealing he challenged referee Michael Oliver in the moment. “I thought there may have been a flick because normally I don’t go offside. I said to Michael Oliver that I took personal that he thought I was offside,” he said.
The striker explained how he first sensed the goal would stand by looking towards his manager on the touchline. “I looked over at Enzo [Maresca] and he, like, give me a thumb up, and then I kind of knew that it was a goal. So I kind of prepared myself to go and celebrate.”
Ten-Man Manchester City Show Resilience in Derby Triumph
City’s afternoon was complicated long before Haaland’s intervention. Phil Foden was shown an early red card, leaving Maresca’s side to play the vast majority of the match a man light. Gianluigi Donnarumma kept City’s advantage intact with a crucial save from Bryan Mbeumo as United pushed for an equaliser against the extra man.
Haaland reflected on the scale of the achievement given the numerical disadvantage. “I think, honestly, this is one of the better ones, because of the occasion and everything, ten men and everything. Of course, it’s always nice to win football games; never take that for granted, but especially at this, you know, ten men for, I don’t know, almost 60 minutes or something,” he said.
His full attacking contribution on the day, including Erling Haaland’s touch stats against Manchester United, underlines how central he remained to City’s threat even with United enjoying a spell of pressure.
What lies ahead for City…
The derby win extends Haaland’s outstanding scoring record against United and gives Maresca a timely reminder of his squad’s character under pressure, having navigated Foden’s dismissal and a contentious VAR review inside the same fixture.
Pro Ref’s admission of error is likely to feature in wider discussion of officiating standards this week, though City’s focus will now turn to their next Premier League assignment as they look to build on three points from Old Trafford.
Off the pitch, Haaland’s derby heroics have done little to dampen ongoing outside interest in his future, with speculation surrounding Haaland’s future and reports linking Haaland with Real Madrid continuing to circulate elsewhere.
For now, the striker’s attention remains firmly on City’s colours, with another derby-winning display adding to a growing list of big-occasion contributions since his arrival at the club.
