United have every right to be unhappy about Erling Haaland’s winner on Sunday. Pro Ref has admitted an error was made, and there is little point in City supporters arguing otherwise.
Haaland was onside when he converted Josko Gvardiol’s cross, but Enzo Fernandez was not and made an attempt to reach the ball as Lisandro Martínez tried to defend it.
Pro Ref says VAR failed to recognise the possible impact Fernandez had on Martínez and should have recommended an on-field review. United have since been contacted by the refereeing body and the incident will be reviewed.
No arguments there.
United had 67 minutes against ten men
What shouldn’t disappear amid the fallout is what happened before Haaland scored. Phil Foden was sent off after 23 minutes, which gave United more than an hour at Old Trafford against ten men. Marcus Rashford hit the post before half-time, Kobbie Mainoo struck the woodwork after it, and Gianluigi Donnarumma was needed late on, so this was certainly no procession for City.
But nor did it ever become the siege United might have expected after the red card. Enzo Maresca kept Erling Haaland, Antoine Semenyo and Iliman Ndiaye on the pitch because he wanted City to retain a threat on the break rather than spend the rest of the afternoon camped around their own penalty area.
It worked well enough for United to have to keep looking over their shoulders, even with the extra man. Michael Carrick and his players can feel hard done by over the goal. If Pro Ref says VAR got the process wrong, then VAR got the process wrong.
United still had 67 minutes plus stoppage time against ten-man City at Old Trafford. They didn’t make it count.
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