The 199th Manchester derby was marked by two controversial refereeing decisions, including Phil Foden's first-half red card for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes. The match also saw a VAR intervention to award Erling Haaland's winning goal, despite Enzo Fernández appearing to interfere with play from an offside position.
Pro Ref later admitted that Haaland's goal should not have stood. Despite the controversy, it was noted that the final result was not considered harsh on Manchester United, who failed to capitalise on Foden's dismissal.
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca, in his first derby, made smart decisions after his team went down to 10 men, securing a galvanising result. This performance helped City keep pace with Arsenal at the top of the league.