Manchester City boss Enzo Maresca has described the focus on Erling Haaland’s controversial winning goal in last weekend’s Manchester derby as “quite poor.” This comes after refereeing body Pro Ref admitted an “error of judgement” in allowing the goal to stand, citing teammate Enzo Fernandez as offside and interfering with play.
Maresca praised his side's "unbelievable" performance, noting they played for approximately 70 to 75 minutes with 10 men after Phil Foden was sent off for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes. He expressed sympathy for officials, stating, “It's not easy for the VAR and the people in front of the screen. To make a decision in 10, 20 seconds is not easy for them. Sometimes they make mistakes.”
The City manager drew a comparison to a 2023 Manchester derby where a Manchester United goal stood despite an offside player, saying, “Three years ago when I was here it happened the exact same against Manchester United. The goal was not a regular goal and no one apologised. We are still waiting for the apology for that.” He added, “Sometimes it goes for you, sometimes against you. It’s football.”
Looking ahead to City’s League Cup tie against Norwich on Thursday, Maresca confirmed he would rotate his squad, with academy players Ryan McAidoo, Kaden Braithwaite, and Floyd Samba set to be involved. He also stated that the club had not discussed appealing Foden's red card.