‘We Are Still Waiting!’ — Maresca Says Man City Are Still Waiting for Apology After Bruno Fernandes’ Man Utd Goal

Enzo Maresca has reignited the Manchester derby’s VAR debate by pointing to an incident involving Bruno Fernandes from 2023, insisting Manchester City are still waiting for an apology after refereeing chiefs acknowledged an error in the latest meeting between the two clubs.

City defeated Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday despite playing for more than an hour with 10 men after Phil Foden was sent off.

The decisive moment came in the second half when Erling Haaland found the net after a lengthy VAR review.

The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but VAR determined that Haaland himself was onside and recommended that the goal be awarded.

The decision immediately sparked controversy because City midfielder Enzo Fernández was in an offside position and appeared to attempt to play the ball during the attacking move.

United defender Lisandro Martínez was positioned close to Fernández, with the offside player's movement becoming central to the debate over whether he had interfered with an opponent.

Pro Ref subsequently acknowledged that VAR had made an error of judgement by failing to recognise the likely impact of Fernández's position and should have recommended an on-field review.

That admission led to renewed questions about VAR consistency — and Maresca has now brought an old Manchester derby incident back into the conversation.

Maresca Points to Bruno Fernandes' 2023 Goal

Maresca was part of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City coaching staff when the controversial incident involving Fernandes occurred in January 2023.

United came from behind to beat City 2-1 at Old Trafford, with Fernandes scoring the equaliser after Marcus Rashford had run towards the ball while in an offside position.

Rashford did not touch the ball before Fernandes finished the move, but his involvement became the subject of a major offside debate.

The goal was allowed to stand.

More than three years later, Maresca believes there is an important difference in how the two incidents have been handled.

Following Pro Ref's acknowledgement of the error involving Haaland's goal, Maresca said City were still waiting for an apology concerning the earlier Fernandes incident.

“We are still waiting,” Maresca said when discussing the issue.

The City boss did not claim that the latest controversy should have changed the result at Old Trafford. Instead, his point was about consistency and the different responses to controversial VAR decisions.

‘Sometimes It’s For You, Sometimes Against You’

Maresca also attempted to move the conversation back towards City's performance.

The visitors had to play with 10 men after Foden was dismissed for retaliating during an altercation with Fernandes.

Maresca accepted that Foden's red card could be justified but argued that Fernandes' involvement in the same incident also deserved punishment.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, City remained organised and eventually found a winner through Haaland.

The victory maintained City's perfect start to the Premier League season, while the VAR controversy continued to dominate the post-match discussion.

Maresca has defended the principle of VAR while acknowledging that officials can make mistakes.

His argument is essentially that controversial decisions are part of football — but that the treatment of those mistakes should also be consistent.

VAR Double Standards Now Under the Spotlight

The two Manchester derby incidents are now being discussed together because both involved an attacker in an offside position influencing a defensive situation without necessarily touching the ball.

In 2023, United benefited from the decision to allow Fernandes' goal to stand.

In 2026, City benefited from the decision to allow Haaland's goal to stand before Pro Ref later acknowledged that the VAR process had failed to properly assess Fernández's potential interference.

The key difference is what happened afterwards.

Pro Ref contacted Manchester United to acknowledge the latest mistake and said the incident would be reviewed. The VAR officials involved were subsequently removed from the following Premier League weekend's appointments.

Maresca's question is therefore less about whether VAR can make mistakes and more about whether clubs receive the same level of acknowledgement when those mistakes happen.

For City, Sunday's result remains intact and the club leave Old Trafford with three points.

But Maresca's comments have ensured that the argument over VAR — and the unresolved memory of Fernandes' 2023 equaliser — will continue long after the Manchester derby itself.

The Bigger Question for English Football

The latest controversy has once again exposed the difficult balance VAR is trying to achieve.

Offside decisions are no longer simply about whether a player's body is beyond the defensive line. Officials must also determine whether an offside player has interfered with an opponent, challenged for the ball or clearly affected the defender's ability to play it.

That judgement can become particularly difficult when several players are involved in the same attacking sequence.

The Haaland goal demonstrated how complicated those decisions can become, while Maresca's reference to Fernandes' goal has added another layer to the debate.

For Manchester City, the immediate priority is moving forward from the derby victory.

For the wider Premier League, however, the latest incident has again raised questions about VAR consistency, transparency and whether clubs can have confidence that controversial decisions will be handled in the same way from one match to another.

Fan Debate

⚽ Goal: Should Maresca have brought up the 2023 Bruno Fernandes goal?

🔥 Fire: Do you think VAR has been consistent in these two Manchester derby incidents?

😲 Shock: Was Haaland's goal the biggest VAR controversy of the weekend?

👍 Like: Did Manchester City deserve their 1-0 victory despite the controversy?

💬 Comment: Should refereeing authorities apologise whenever a major VAR mistake is officially acknowledged?