Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has urged observers to focus on his team’s gritty performance in their 1-0 derby victory against Manchester United, rather than the intense controversy surrounding the VAR decision that validated Erling Haaland’s second-half winner. While the refereeing body PGMOL later admitted the goal was incorrectly awarded after a review that initially deemed the Norwegian striker onside, Maresca believes the narrative has unfairly ignored his side’s resilience.
The match was defined by City’s ability to withstand pressure after being reduced to 10 men in the 23rd minute, following Phil Foden’s red card for a challenge on Bruno Fernandes. Maresca praised his squad’s effort, stating that focusing solely on a single officiating moment after they successfully navigated roughly 70 to 75 minutes shorthanded was quite poor. He maintained that the collective display was truly unbelievable.
Regarding the officiating oversight, the City manager suggested that such errors are an inevitable part of the sport. He noted that officials working in front of screens often face immense pressure to reach a conclusion within 10 to 20 seconds. According to Maresca, these decisions occasionally favor a team and sometimes act against them, comparing the inevitability of human error in the booth to mistakes made by managers and players alike.
Maresca also recalled a past frustration from a 2-1 defeat by United in January 2023, during his previous tenure as an assistant coach. He pointed out that Manchester City is still awaiting an apology for a controversial goal scored by Bruno Fernandes when Marcus Rashford was in an offside position. He highlighted this to underscore that officiating disputes are not unique to the current season.
“There is knowledge that there was a mistake and that’s all. Sometimes, it goes for you, and sometimes, it goes against you,” Maresca told reporters on Wednesday ahead of the upcoming League Cup third-round match against Norwich City. He emphasized that the officials have a difficult job, and while mistakes occur, they remain a part of the professional environment. The report also notes that refereeing body Pro Ref later acknowledged that VAR had been wrong to allow the decisive goal.
