Maresca criticizes VAR focus after City's derby win

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has criticized the intense focus on the VAR error that decided his team's 1-0 Premier League victory over Manchester United, calling the coverage "quite poor" and arguing it overshadowed his side's impressive performance while playing with 10 men for over 70 minutes. The controversy stems from Erling Haaland's 60th-minute winning goal at Old Trafford on September 13, which was initially disallowed for offside but awarded after a VAR review. Refereeing body Pro Ref later acknowledged an error of judgment, stating the VAR should have recommended an on-field review because City midfielder Enzo Fernandez was in an offside position and interfering with play. Speaking at a press conference on September 16 ahead of a League Cup tie against Norwich City, Maresca defended the officials and shifted the focus to his team's resilience. "To talk about one moment after that game when we played for 70, 75 minutes with 10 players is quite poor. I think the performance was unbelievable and I'm pleased," he said. Maresca also pointed to a similar incident from January 2023, when he was an assistant coach at City.