Foden sees red before Haaland’s disputed second-half goal seals victory at Old Trafford.
Manchester City overcame a first-half red card to claim a dramatic derby victory at Old Trafford, but refereeing controversies surrounding both Phil Foden’s dismissal and Erling Haaland’s decisive goal dominated the aftermath.
Foden Sent Off After Fernandes Incident
Manchester City were reduced to 10 players in the 23rd minute when Phil Foden received a straight red card for kicking out at Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes. The Premier League Match Centre said referee Michael Oliver’s decision was checked and confirmed by VAR for violent conduct. City manager Enzo Maresca later said Foden’s reaction deserved a red card but argued that Fernandes should also have been dismissed for his role in the incident.
United Fail to Capitalize on Numerical Advantage
Manchester United played with an extra man for most of the match but were unable to find the net. Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo both hit the woodwork, leaving the hosts frustrated despite their numerical advantage. City reorganized after Foden’s dismissal and kept United scoreless as the match remained level into the second half.
Haaland Breaks Deadlock in 60th Minute
Erling Haaland scored the only goal in the 60th minute, finishing at the back post following a cross from Josko Gvardiol. The goal was initially ruled out for offside before VAR overturned the decision after determining that United defender Patrick Dorgu had played Haaland onside. The decision gave City a 1-0 lead despite playing with 10 men.
Refereeing Body Admits Error on Winning Goal
The winning goal remained controversial because City midfielder Enzo Fernandez was in an offside position during the build-up and attempted to play the ball before it reached Haaland. Refereeing body Pro Ref later acknowledged an “error in judgement”, saying the VAR should have considered whether Fernandez interfered with United defender Lisandro Martinez and recommended an on-field review. Pro Ref contacted Manchester United after the match to acknowledge the mistake.
City Preserve Perfect Premier League Start
The 1-0 result gave Manchester City their fourth victory from four Premier League matches under Maresca, keeping them on 12 points. Haaland described the derby triumph as one of his most memorable City victories, while United were left frustrated by the disputed winner after failing to make their extra player count.
The Manchester derby delivered both a significant victory for City and a major refereeing controversy that continued beyond the final whistle. Indonesian and Singaporean Premier League supporters following the two Manchester clubs were left with a match shaped not only by Haaland’s decisive finish, but also by questions surrounding Foden’s red card and the VAR decision that allowed the winning goal.
Sources: EN Tempo (2026) , Sky Sports (2026)
Keywords: Manchester Derby 2026, Manchester United Manchester City, Erling Haaland Goal, Phil Foden Red Card, Premier League Derby, Old Trafford
