Man City news: Enzo Maresca critical of VAR focus after “unbelievable” derby win over Man United

Enzo Maresca believes that Manchester City’s “unbelievable” derby triumph over rivals Manchester United should not be overshadowed by the VAR controversy around Erling Haaland's winning goal.

The Citizens played for over an hour with 10 men following Phil Foden’s first-half red card, but they came away from Old Trafford with a narrow 1-0 victory after Haaland’s 60th-minute strike was allowed to stand.

Referee governing body Pro Ref, formerly PGMOL, have since apologised to Man United after confirming an “error of judgment” from VAR, who failed to identify that Enzo Fernandez had interfered with play while in an offside position before Haaland made the net ripple.

The latest howler from VAR has since dominated the headlines, and Maresca feels that Man City’s hard-fought performance and victory in the Manchester derby has been lost amid the focus on the officials.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Man City’s EFL Cup clash with Norwich City on Thursday, Maresca said: "I'm pleased with the unbelievable performance of the players in Sunday's game. I'm very pleased with that.

"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."

Maresca: Focus on "unbelievable" Man City performance, not VAR error

Maresca was part of Pep Guardiola’s backroom staff at Man City when Man United benefitted from a similar controversial derby incident involving Marcus Rashford for a goal scored by Bruno Fernandes in January 2023.

“There is knowledge that there was a mistake and that's all. I think sometimes it goes for you, sometimes against you,” said Maresca.

“Three years ago when I was here, it happened exactly the same against Man United. We lost the derby there, the goal was not a regular goal, and no one apologised.

"We're still waiting for the apology for that goal. It's football."

Maresca: VAR will continue to make mistakes

Erling Haaland has put Manchester City ahead in the derby after a VAR check ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/V0DCwryhFy
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 13, 2026

Maresca has also acknowledged that he has sympathy for officials working under pressure and has stated that they, like everyone else in football, will make mistakes.

"It's not easy for the VAR, for the people in front of the screen, and in 10 seconds, 20 seconds they have to make a decision," he added.

"It's not easy. Sometimes they make some mistake. I make mistakes. Players make mistakes. It's part of our job. It's complicated also for them."

Pro Ref have since confirmed that VAR official Matt Donohue and assistant VAR Blake Antrobus have not been appointed for any Premier League fixtures this weekend.

However, on-field referee Michael Oliver, his assistant referees Stuart Burt and Tim Wood, and fourth official Paul Tierney have all retained their positions for gameweek five.

Meanwhile, Maresca has also shared fresh thoughts on Foden’s red card, the impact of his absence for three matches and whether Man City intend to challenge his suspension.