Maresca: VAR Storm Overshadows Derby Win
Enzo Maresca bristled at the narrative. A derby won with 10 men, a statement performance at Old Trafford, and all anyone wanted to talk about was a frozen frame and a VAR line.
For the Manchester City manager, that misses the point.
Maresca: “Quite poor” that VAR storm masks derby display
Erling Haaland’s decisive strike on the hour sealed a 1-0 win over Manchester United on Sunday, City’s fourth successive Premier League victory. It came after a VAR review overturned an on-field offside call, ruling the Norwegian just onside.
City had been down to 10 men for the majority of the match after Phil Foden’s red card, yet still controlled long spells of the game and found a way to win at Old Trafford. Maresca wanted that to be the story.
“Talking about one episode or one moment after that game when we played for 70-75 minutes with 10 players, I think it's quite poor,” he said ahead of Thursday’s Carabao Cup third-round tie against Norwich City. “I think the performance was unbelievable, and I'm pleased with the performance.”
The controversy refused to die down. The Premier League refereeing body later confirmed the VAR decision was wrong, admitting officials had failed to penalise Enzo Fernandez for an offside offence in the build-up. The midfielder dived at the ball from a central position and was judged, after the fact, to have interfered with opponents.
On the day, though, only Haaland’s position came under scrutiny. The on-field officials initially disallowed the goal for offside, before VAR stepped in and allowed it to stand. City took the points; the debate started almost immediately.
“Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes against you”
Maresca did not linger on the apology or the technical breakdown. His message was blunt: this is part of the sport, and City have been on the wrong end before.
“There is knowledge that there was a mistake and that's all. Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes against you. It's football,” the Italian said.
He reached back to his previous spell at the club to make his point. Before succeeding Pep Guardiola in the summer, Maresca worked as the Catalan’s assistant and still remembers one particular derby grievance.
“Three years ago when I was here [as Guardiola's assistant], it happened the exact same against United,” he said. “The goal was not a regular goal and no one apologised. We are still waiting for the apology for that.”
The implication was clear: City accepted the decision then and will move on now. They expect the same energy when the calls go in their favour.
Webb: Officials “hurting” after error
The scrutiny has fallen heavily on Pro Ref and its chief, Howard Webb. Appearing on ‘Match Officials Mic’d Up’, Webb confirmed what many had suspected: VAR did not properly consider Fernandez’s involvement before Haaland converted.
“I was really disappointed with this outcome. We all are,” Webb said. “None more so than the officials themselves. They take a lot of personal pride in what they do and they're obviously hurting now, having fallen short in this situation.”
The admission adds another layer to an already charged derby narrative. A wrong decision, a public apology, and a manager who refuses to let his team’s resilience be reduced to a footnote.
City leave Old Trafford with three points, a contentious clip on every highlights reel, and a manager adamant that the real story was written in the 70-75 minutes when his side, a man down, still dictated a derby.
