Both ex-referee Mike Dean and former Manchester United captain Gary Neville concur that there are no grounds for complaint regarding a foul on Marcus Rashford before Phil Foden’s equalizer in the Manchester Derby.
During the first half, with the home team tallying 18 shots, it was Manchester United who made waves at the Etihad Stadium, taking the lead into halftime thanks to Rashford’s remarkable long-range goal, further silencing his critics.
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The pressure on Andre Onana’s goal persisted after the restart, and it only took 11 minutes before City leveled the score. This time, Foden unleashed an unstoppable shot, albeit amidst controversy.
United argued that Kyle Walker fouled Rashford in the build-up to the equalizer. Rashford was striving to advance towards the opposition’s half, but Walker sprinted back and muscled the ball away from him.
Erik ten Hag was even cautioned for his touchline protests afterward, though Neville believed there was no legitimate claim in this situation.
“We have seen two special goals at that end of the pitch. Manchester United are asking for a foul on Marcus Rashford, but as the ball comes over to Phil Foden, Lindelof does not do enough,” he said while commentating for Sky Sports.
“He allows him just inside him and he won’t expect that Foden is going to ram it into the top corner of his goalkeeper’s net, but he just does that. The power, the accuracy is incredible from Phil Foden’s left boot.
“Erik ten Hag is getting booked but I thought it was soft. He gets a little arm on him but there is nothing on that.”
Dean added: “There’s an arm on an arm, but when the way he goes down, the contact and the way he goes down, it’s just not a foul and it is the correct decision.”
Consequently, the game resumed tied at 1-1 with more than half an hour remaining, and City proceeded to score two additional goals courtesy of Foden and Erling Haaland.
The 3-1 win sets the stage for a pivotal clash in the title race next Sunday against league leaders Liverpool, while the outcome is a detrimental setback for United in their pursuit of Champions League qualification.
