What once went around came back around as Manchester City beat Manchester United

Manchester City beat Manchester United 1-0 yesterday at Old Trafford to claim a famous Manchester derby victory. Erling Haaland scored the winning goal in the 60th minute after he coolly slotted home a Josko Gvardiol cross at the back post to give Enzo Maresca’s side the lead. Following yesterday’s derby, it has subsequently been revealed that Haaland’s winner shouldn’t have stood. Enzo Fernandez was offside and influencing play when he attempted to head home Josko Gvardiol’s cross. However, yesterday’s goal was a case of what has previously gone around at Old Trafford with Manchester City finally coming around in Manchester City’s favour.

Erling Haaland’s goal was reminiscent of a famous non-call that Manchester City suffered in 2023.

Initially, Erling Haaland’s goal was ruled out for offside. The linesman’s flag immediately went up after City’s number nine seemingly opened the scoring. A lengthy VAR check ensued following the goal. As the check went on, it became clear that Haaland’s goal was going to stand. Haaland was onside when Gvardiol played the ball across United’s six-yard box.

That is how it played out as VAR ruled that Haaland’s goal should stand and Manchester City took a 1-0 lead which they would hold onto. VAR ruled that Enzo Fernandez wasn’t influencing play when he attempted to head home Gvardiol’s cross before Haaland scored. That was the wrong decision but that is the swings and roundabouts of football. Something that Manchester City know all too well at Old Trafford.

In January of 2023, Manchester United came from behind to beat Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side 2-1. Bruno Fernandes scored United’s equaliser on that day. United’s goal was shrouded in controversy. Marcus Rashford was played through by Casemiro. Rashford was offside and instead of touching the ball, he shielded the ball for a significant distance into the City area before Bruno Fernandes lashed the ball home to make it 1-1.

VAR awarded the goal after Rashford was deemed not to have touched the ball although he clearly influenced the play. Instead of a day of outrage at the call, it spawned a spate of justification pieces as to why that goal should have stood. That call was wrong at the time, much like yesterday’s. However what went around came back around at Old Trafford yesterday. There is a great sense of irony to the entire affair.

Ref Pro admitted that an error was made yesterday in Manchester City’s favour, but that just made City’s win much more sweeter.

Following yesterday’s match, the refereeing body Ref Pro came out and admitted that an error was made when Erling Haaland’s goal was awarded by VAR. They also subsequently apologized to Manchester United. However, the record books will forever say that Manchester City won the 199th Manchester derby 1-0 at Old Trafford. The controversy made yesterday’s result that but more sweeter from a City point of view.

VAR is a rotten mess. No one disputes this. Yesterday’s decision is just further proof of this fact. The catalogue of VAR ‘howlers’ is long as the night is dark. The reaction to it has been amusing to observe from a City fan’s point of view. Especially when you consider the lack of outrage at the ridiculous Rashford decision in 2023, or the lack of outrage at the lack of VAR intervention when Diego Dalot hit Jeremy Doku with a high foot at Old Trafford last season when Manchester United beat City at Old Trafford during the 2025-26 campaign.

Manchester City benefited from an incorrect decision by VAR to award Erling Haaland’s goal at Old Trafford. Eventually, what went around against City came back around in their favour. It took three years for this to occur. City have copped two high-profile VAR howlers at Old Trafford in recent times and while yesterday’s decision was incorrect, that isn’t Manchester City’s issue to rectify. Finally one went in their favour and it made yesterday’s result that bit more sweeter.

Any win over City by United at Old Trafford is special. The circumstances surrounding yesterday’s win by Manchester City have made it that bit more special with Foden’s red card and the manner of how Haaland’s goal was awarded. VAR is, and remains a circus. Yesterday’s decision isn’t the straw that broke VAR’s back. But finally one went in Manchester City’s favour at Old Trafford which was a case of what goes around eventually comes around.