{
  "id": 7761379,
  "title": "EPL: VAR error on Haaland’s goal against Man United ‘part of football’ — Maresca",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/epl-var-error-on-haalands-goal-against-man-united-part-of-football",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T10:26:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch Nigeria",
    "slug": "punch-nigeria",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/epl-var-error-on-haalands-goal-against-man-united-part-of-football-maresca/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "Man City manager Enzo Maresca describes the VAR error that allowed Erling Haaland’s winning goal against Man United as “part of football.” Read More: https://punchng.com/epl-var-error-on-haalands-goal-against-man-united-part-of-football-maresca/",
  "key_points": [
    "Manchester City's VAR decision on Haaland's goal is 'part of football', says Maresca",
    "City secured 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford",
    "Maresca references past VAR controversy with Marcus Rashford's disallowed goal"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch",
        "title": "EPL: VAR error on Haaland’s goal against Man United ‘part of football’ — Maresca",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/epl-var-error-on-haalands-goal-against-man-united-part-of-football-7765635",
        "published": "2026-09-16T10:48:04.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Post Nigeria",
        "title": "EPL: Man Utd also defeated Man City with offside goal – Maresca hits back",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/epl-man-utd-also-defeated-man-city-with-offside-goal-maresca-hits-back",
        "published": "2026-09-16T11:44:38.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}