Photo via BBC Sport

Was Haaland's winner a VAR error? Man Utd fury at 'injustice'

Manchester City secured an eventful derby triumph against Manchester United despite spending most of the clash shorthanded following Phil Foden's 23rd-minute expulsion. Match official Michael Oliver issued a direct red card to the City attacker for striking Bruno Fernandes in the midsection while the United skipper lay grounded.

The decisive moment arrived at the hour mark when Erling Haaland converted Josko Gvardiol's delivery at the far post, a strike initially chalked off before video review revealed Patrick Dorgu's foot had kept the scorer onside.

Nevertheless, the reversal ignited intense debate over whether offside teammate Enzo Fernandez had unlawfully affected the play by diving toward the delivery directly ahead of Lisandro Martinez. The United defender denounced the ruling as an injustice, while manager Michael Carrick expressed bewilderment over the verdict.

Analysis indicated that video assistant referee Matt Donohue failed to instruct Oliver to review the monitor, where Fernandez's clear attempt to head the ball within a yard of Martinez should have ultimately preserved the disallowed outcome.