Lisandro Martínez, Michael Carrick blast 'injustice' to allow Erling Haaland, Man City's winner in derby - ESPN

MANCHESTER, England — Lisandro Martínez called the decision to allow Manchester City's winning goal against Manchester United «an injustice» while Michael Carrick said it was an «obvious» error.

City, who played more than half the game with 10 men after Phil Foden's early red card, won 1-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday courtesy of Erling Haaland's second-half strike.

But it was mired in controversy after initially being ruled out for offside. The goal was eventually given following a lengthy VAR check with Patrick Dorgu shown to be playing Haaland onside.

However, it was Enzo Fernández — who was in an offside position — attempting to play the ball in front of Martinez which prompted an angry response from the defender in his postmatch interview.

«I think it was offside,» Martinez told Sky Sports.

«And what I can't understand is the rules. He [Fernández] was there, I went to him. He was there, in front of me. So that's why [Erling] Haaland was free at the back.

»Every season [the referees] are coming to our club, they explain for one hour, one hour and a half the rules, and they look so confident with that, and then after five, six people make these kinds of mistakes in the Premier League. It's unacceptable.

«Because it's the best league in the world, you have the best teams in the world, the best players in the world, and now we have to go home with this injustice.»

A statement published on the Premier League Match Centre X account during the game read: «VAR checked the referee's call of no goal for offside and determined that Haaland was in an onside position and recommended that the goal was awarded.

»The VAR also deemed that while in an offside position, Fernandez didn't play the ball."

— Dawson, Ogden: Manchester derby