Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville agree over Erling Haaland’s controversial winner at Man Utd

Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville were at a loss over the decision to award Erling Haaland’s controversial goal in Manchester City’s 1-0 win at Manchester United.

The latest Manchester derby was full of big talking points, starting with Phil Foden‘s 23rd-minute red card at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.

The 26-year-old kicked out at Bruno Fernandes after the Portuguese clattered into the Man City star, prompting referee Michael Oliver to give Foden his marching orders.

Despite being down to 10 men for more than an hour, Man City scored the only goal of the game in the 60th minute when Haaland tapped in Josko Gvardiol’s deflected cross.

The Norwegian’s back post effort was immediately ruled out for offside but a VAR review overturned that decision as Enzo Maresca’s side held on for a crucial three points.

The result leaves Man Utd way down in 13th with four points from their opening four matches, whereas rivals Man City have 12 points from a possible 12 thus far.

Man Utd had 54.7% possession and 16 shots to the visitors’ six, but Michael Carrick’s team mustered a mere three shots on target, and their Expected Goals tally of 0.95 was below Man City’s 0.99.

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As the dust from the game settles, the Foden and Haaland incidents will dominate the headlines but were the right calls made?

On the Haaland goal, former Man Utd heroes Neville and Rooney could not understand the decision.

Gary Neville confused by offside law

In the lead up to the goal, Man City’s Enzo Fernandez was clearly offside and it looked like Haaland was as well.

While the Argentine didn’t touch the ball, many argued that he was interfering with play.

On Sky Sports, Neville said, “I need the offside law explaining to me, that has lost me I have to say. It will need an official to explain to us why he’s not offside.”

And Rooney said on BBC’s Match of the Day, “Surely it’s offside. Martinez is impacted by Enzo’s movement, and he is offside.”

Conversely, former Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United goalkeeper Paul Robinson said that the fact that Gvardiol’s ball took a nick off Patrick Dorgu was the key element.

He said on BBC Radio 5 Live, “There was a deflection off Patrick Dorgu as Josko Gvardiol plays the ball and it bobbles up.

“It ends up with Erling Haaland at the far post and there was only going to be one outcome but it’s the deflection off the Manchester United left-back which is all important.”

Shortly after the decision was made, The Premier League Match Centre took to X to explain the reasoning behind Haaland’s goal.

They tweeted, “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.”

The debate is likely to rage on for a while yet.

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