Maresca bristles at derby narrative following VAR controversy

Enzo Maresca did not hide his irritation. Not at Manchester United. Not at the pressure. At the noise.

Days after a stormy derby at Old Trafford, the Manchester City manager is still baffled that the conversation has been reduced to one freeze-frame and a VAR line, rather than a statement performance from a side that played most of the afternoon with 10 men and still walked away with a 1-0 win.

Maresca bristles at derby narrative

"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," Maresca said ahead of City's Carabao Cup third-round tie against Norwich City.

He had a point. Phil Foden’s red card left City a man down for the bulk of the contest, yet they controlled long spells, pressed with intelligence and found their decisive moment on the hour. Erling Haaland, as so often, applied the finish.

Maresca called the display "unbelievable" and said he was "pleased with the performance." The numbers back him up; the narrative, less so.

Haaland’s winner, initially chalked off for offside, was restored by VAR after replays showed the striker marginally onside. City celebrated, Old Trafford seethed, and the champions marched to a fourth straight league victory.

Then came the admission. And the backlash.

VAR error fuels Old Trafford fallout

The Premier League’s refereeing body later confirmed the decision was wrong – not in relation to Haaland, but because officials failed to spot an offside offence by Enzo Fernandez, who dived at the ball from a central position and was deemed to have interfered with opponents.

What looked like a tight but routine offside check morphed into another flashpoint in the ongoing saga around VAR.

"There is knowledge that there was a mistake and that's all. Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes against you. It's football," Maresca said, refusing to be drawn into outrage, but clearly unimpressed that his team’s resilience had been pushed to the margins.

For him, this is not a one-off. It’s a pattern.

Old wounds from a previous derby

Maresca, who returned to City in the summer to succeed Pep Guardiola after previously serving as his assistant, reached back three years to make his point. He referenced a 2-1 defeat by United in January 2023, when City were furious with a goal they felt should never have stood.

"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."

If Sunday’s controversy has at least brought an admission of error, it has not brought closure. Not for United, who feel wronged, and not for City, who feel their work has been downgraded to a footnote.

Webb: officials "hurting" after mistake

Pro Ref chief Howard Webb addressed the incident on 'Match Officials Mic'd Up', conceding that the VAR team simply did not consider Fernandez’s position before Haaland struck.

"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."

His words underline the scale of the error. So does the reaction. But Maresca is determined not to let his squad be dragged into a blame game when they have just produced one of the season’s most disciplined away performances under severe pressure.

City now move on to Norwich in the Carabao Cup, chasing trophies on multiple fronts again. The question is whether their football will be allowed to take centre stage, or whether another set of lines and replays will write the next chapter.