Manchester City won the first derby of the season 1-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday with ten men for 67 minutes, and left Manchester United arguing with the officials about a goal rather than with themselves about a performance. Erling Haaland scored on the hour from a cross that deflected off Patrick Dorgu, with Enzo Fernández in an offside position between the ball and Lisandro Martínez. The flag went up. VAR took it down. The Premier League's explanation afterwards was that Fernández did not play the ball.

City go to 12 points from four, level with Arsenal and second on goal difference, still with a perfect record under Enzo Maresca. United have four points from four, eight behind the neighbours they were told last week were the kings of Manchester.

Twenty-three minutes, two kicks, one card

Phil Foden was fouled by Bruno Fernandes on the touchline in the 23rd minute. On the ground, he was kicked by Fernandes again. He kicked back, into the United captain's midriff, and Michael Oliver showed a straight red card that VAR confirmed without a review. Fernandes was not punished. It was City's first Premier League red card against United since 2006, and Harry Maguire and Martínez ran most of the length of the pitch to make their views known.

Maresca did not argue with the decision. He argued with its symmetry. "I reviewed the action immediately after the red card on the bench, and it's a clear red card for Phil, because it's a reaction," he said. "But you can also see in the same action Bruno's intention. So for me, yes, it's a red card for Phil, but it's also a red card for Bruno." City dropped into a 4-4-1 and, in his words, the game changed for both sides. "They love transition and space in behind," he said of United, "but the game became more difficult with us and them."

Sixteen shots, and the one save that mattered

United had the extra man for an hour and seven minutes and their best moments hit the frame of the goal. Marcus Rashford's free-kick struck the post in first-half stoppage time. Kobbie Mainoo's 25-yard shot hit the other post seven minutes into the second half, rebounded off Gianluigi Donnarumma's back and somehow stayed out. At the interval City still had 52 per cent of the ball with ten men.

Then the goal. Donnarumma's long ball was flicked on, Iliman Ndiaye ran it down, Antoine Semenyo carried it left and Josko Gvardiol crossed. The ball deflected off Dorgu, Fernández dived to head it six yards out with Martínez marking him, missed it, and Haaland finished at the far post. The assistant flagged. After a long review, VAR Matt Donohue ruled that Dorgu's deflection had played Haaland onside and that Fernández, though offside, had not played the ball. The Premier League said the same in a statement after the game.

City nearly added a second when Senne Lammens tipped a Fernández shot onto the post. United nearly rescued a point in the 95th minute, when Fernandes played in Bryan Mbeumo and Donnarumma saved at point-blank range. The numbers underneath say what the ending did: United had 55 per cent possession and 16 shots to six, but three on target to two, one big chance to two, and an expected goals on target figure of 0.28 against City's 0.97.

Highlights via Manchester United

"I look forward to that"

Michael Carrick's complaint was about the interpretation rather than the eyesight. "The explanation I got was he wasn't interfering with play, so I just don't get it," he said. "If that's how the rules are interpreted, that you're not interfering with play when you've thrown yourself at the ball, six yards from goal and pretty much nearly touched it, which means Licha has to react from that." He called it a staggering explanation and worrying for the game. Asked whether he expected an apology, he said: "I look forward to that."

Martínez called it an injustice. Youri Tielemans, who was substituted for Benjamin Šeško on 67 minutes, was the one United player to say the other part out loud. "First of all we shouldn't concede a goal," he said, "but I don't think we created enough chances to win the game anyway."

Haaland's goal was his ninth in the Premier League against United, more than anyone has scored in the fixture. "It's kind of a new experience to win down to ten men," he said. City host Norwich in the League Cup on Thursday and Sunderland in the league next weekend. United have Brighton at Old Trafford in the League Cup, then Fulham away.