Maresca defends VAR while lamenting row dominating win at Manchester United
The VAR debate has raged since the Manchester derby, but Enzo Maresca says it wrongly overshadows City's win at United
Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca has defended the controversial VAR decision that allowed Erling Haaland's winning goal against Manchester United, calling it "part of football." The 1-0 victory secured by City at Old Trafford sparked debate over the decision not to overturn the goal following a VAR review. In a press conference ahead of City's Carabao Cup match against Norwich, Maresca stated that focusing on this single incident after their strong performance was unfavorable.
He emphasized that such errors are inherent to the game, acknowledging the VAR mistake but stressing the importance of the overall game performance. Maresca also referenced a previous controversial decision involving City at Old Trafford, where Marcus Rashford's goal stood despite being disallowed in City's 2-1 defeat by United in January 2023.
The manager said City is still awaiting an apology for that incident. Maresca confirmed that City would rotate the squad for Thursday's match against Norwich, stating that the fixture would provide an opportunity for players to improve their fitness and build form for the challenging period ahead, including both the Premier League and Champions League.
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