praised referee John Brooks for his handling of the early incident in what promised to be a high-stakes clash.
The game’s first major talking point came almost immediately, when Garnacho was brought down near the edge of the area following a swift combination with Rasmus Højlund.
As Garnacho surged towards goal, Dias clipped him from behind, halting his progress and sparking calls for a penalty from the United players.
Brooks, however, awarded a free-kick just outside the box, ruling that the foul had occurred outside, despite protests from the visitors claiming otherwise.
Although Garnacho seemed to have a clear path to goal when he was impeded by Dias, the referee showed only a yellow card, surrounded by appeals from Manchester City players.
After a brief moment of uncertainty, Brooks stuck with his decision, one that Mike Dean, offering analysis alongside Peter Drury and Gary Neville, agreed was the correct call.
He remarked: “I think it’s a good on-field call by John Brooks, he’s waited a couple of seconds to see if it can be passed to the right wing, it hasn’t, he pulls it back. For me, it’s just outside so the right call, a good call at this early stage of the game.”
But, fans on X disagreed with the decision, claiming the visitors should be down to 10 men.
One user said: “I’m still trying to understand how this wasn’t a penalty. Ruben Dias got away with the same thing at the Etihad with his tackle on Rasmus Højlund. This time it’s Alejandro Garnacho.”
A second raged: “MAN THAT IS EITHER A PENALTY OR A FREE KICK + RED CARD FOR RUBEN DIAS!” While a third added: “How Ruben Dias is considered one of the best cbs in the prem I do not know.”
Although the match began at a lively pace, the first half lacked real excitement, with the best opportunity falling to Garnacho, who squandered a promising cross into the area.
The Argentine found himself undecided between attempting a header or a volley, ultimately making no contact with the ball, and both sides went into halftime with the score still 0-0.
The second half offered little improvement in terms of action or goals, as the game ended in a scoreless stalemate with both teams settling for a point.
