Manchester United boss Michael Carrick was left “confused” and “worried” by the decision to allow Erling Haaland’s decisive goal in their derby defeat at Old Trafford.
United slumped to their second defeat of the campaign as they were beaten 1-0 at home by 10-man Manchester City, who had Phil Foden sent off in the 23rd minute for kicking Bruno Fernandes in the stomach.
But the Red Devils failed to make the extra man count, though Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo each hit the post, and they were punished as Haaland produced a fine close-range finish to steer Josko Gvardiol’s deflected cross to the far post back across goal and into the top-left corner.
Haaland’s celebrations were initially cut short by the offside flag but, after a lengthy VAR review, it was ruled that the Norway talisman was onside. Enzo Fernandez, who attacked the cross from an offside position but failed to make contact with his attempt to head the ball, was controversially ruled to not have interfered with play.
And it was that interpretation of the rules that left Carrick scratching his head, declaring it to be a “staggering” explanation.
“I’m confused,” Carrick told Sky Sports.
“We put things in place in the game now. We have people in offices with all the screens for this decision. It’s more worrying if that’s the interpretation of football now. If that’s the interpretation of not interfering in the game now, that’s really worrying for me. It’s a staggering explanation.
“The decision isn’t going to change the season, but it’s had a major impact on the game. That decision wasn’t on us today. It’s up to us to create and score after that. We had moments. Of course it’s up to us to do that, but big moments in games like that have a big impact.”
United had 16 shots in the game, with only three hitting the target.
Gianluigi Donnarumma tipped Rashford’s free-kick onto the post in first-half stoppage time and Mainoo rattled the frame of the goal seven minutes before Haaland broke the deadlock.
But Carrick’s men struggled to craft clear-cut opportunities from open play, their best coming right at the death as Fernandes threaded a ball through to Bryan Mbeumo, only for the forward to be denied by an excellent save from Donnarumma.
Despite a frustrating afternoon for United, Carrick defended his side’s performance after they suffered a second defeat in four Premier League games to start his first season in permanent charge.
“We did a lot of things well, it looked like we were growing well into the game,” Carrick added.
“We looked dangerous. We’ll take the positives from the game today and move on well, but we’re not moving on lightly.
“We could have created more. That’s an answer for us, but we could have. That’s our second defeat now, since I’ve been in charge, but we’re a good team and we’ll get back to wining ways.
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