Enzo Maresca Defends VAR Officials After Manchester City Benefit From Controversial Goal
Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has defended VAR officials after his team benefited from a controversial decision during their 1-0 Premier League victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Erling Haaland scored the decisive goal in the 60th minute on Sunday, helping City maintain a perfect start to their league campaign with four wins from four matches.
The goal, however, attracted significant attention after an apparent VAR error.
VAR Decision Sparks Controversy
Haaland was initially flagged offside when the move ended with him finding the net. VAR officials subsequently ruled that Manchester United defender Patrick Dorgu had played him onside.
However, the review failed to properly consider the position of Enzo Fernandez, who was in an offside position and was considered to be interfering with the play.
Refereeing body Pro Ref later acknowledged the mistake, describing it as an “error of judgment.” The organisation said the VAR should have recommended that referee Michael Oliver review the incident on the pitch.
Despite the controversy, Maresca urged people to consider the pressure faced by officials working in the VAR room.
Maresca Says Mistakes Are Part of Football
Speaking ahead of Manchester City’s League Cup third-round match against Championship side Norwich, Maresca said VAR officials have to make difficult decisions within a very short period.
He acknowledged that refereeing mistakes can happen, just as players and managers can make errors during matches.
The Manchester City boss also expressed frustration that the controversial goal had received so much attention after what he described as a strong team performance.
City played a large portion of the match with 10 men after Phil Foden was sent off in the first half, making the victory particularly significant for Maresca.
Maresca Recalls Earlier Manchester United Controversy
Maresca also referred to a previous controversial incident involving Manchester United from the 2022/23 season, when he was part of Pep Guardiola’s coaching staff.
During that match at Old Trafford, Bruno Fernandes scored for United despite Marcus Rashford being in an offside position during the attacking move. United went on to win the derby 2-1.
Maresca said he believed that incident was similar to the recent VAR controversy and claimed that Manchester City had never received an apology for the earlier decision.
He used the example to emphasize that controversial decisions can benefit one team on one occasion and go against another at a different time.
No VAR in Early League Cup Rounds
Maresca was also asked whether he was pleased that VAR would not be used during the early rounds of the League Cup.
Rather than focusing on the absence of VAR, the Italian manager highlighted Manchester City’s performance against United.
He praised his players for maintaining their level despite being reduced to 10 men and said the team’s display over the majority of the match deserved greater attention.
Manchester City will now turn their attention to Norwich as they begin their League Cup campaign, while the debate over the VAR decision against Manchester United continues.
