Erling Haaland opened the scoring for Manchester City in the derby against Manchester United after a long VAR check.
Haaland was initially ruled to be offside when he tucked in Josko Gvardiol’s deflected cross from the left wing to put City 1-0 up.
However, to much confusion, the striker was then ruled to be onside following a lengthy check from the VAR Matt Donohue.
Haaland was played onside by Patrick Dorgu’s outstretched foot as the Manchester United defender went to close down Gvardiol and attempted to block the cross.
The angle of the initial TV replays appeared to show that Haaland was in an offside position at the back post.
But the Premier League’s semi-automated offside technology proved that Haaland was in fact behind Dorgu.
The reason the check too so long was because Enzo Fernandez was in an offside position in the penalty box as he also attempted to reach the cross.
The Manchester City midfielder attempted to reach the cross with a diving header, but missed the ball.
The Premier League Match Centre confirmed: “VAR checked the referee’s call of no goal for offside – and determined that Haaland was in an onside position and recommended that the goal was awarded.
“The VAR also deemed that while in an offside position, Fernandez didn’t play the ball.”
Had Fernandez touched the ball he would have been offside, while the VAR also ruled that Fernandez was not interfering with play.
There is an argument, however, that Fernandez put off the United defender Lisandro Martinez, who was between Fernandez and Haaland at the back post.
To put it simply, if Fernandez was not in the box, Martinez would have been expected to clear the cross, or goalkeeper Senne Lammens could have come to collect it.
City were down to 10 men in the Manchester derby following Phil Foden’s first-half red card for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes.
Haaland’s ninth league goal against United means the striker is now top scorer in the Manchester derbies in the Premier League.
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