Manchester City beat Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday, September 13, 2026, in a dramatic Manchester derby.
City had to play with 10 men for more than an hour after Phil Foden was shown a straight red card in the 23rd minute for his challenge on United captain Bruno Fernandes. The decision quickly became one of the biggest talking points of the match.
Manchester United then pushed forward looking for the opening goal. The home side hit the post twice, but could not find the net.
Despite being a man down, Manchester City took the lead in the 60th minute. Erling Haaland finished from close range to make it 1-0.
The goal caused more controversy after the assistant referee initially flagged for offside. VAR checked the goal for several minutes before it was given. Questions were raised over whether City midfielder Enzo Fernandez was in an offside position during the build-up.
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville later said the VAR officials were wrong to allow the goal and suggested United could receive an apology from the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL).
United continued to search for an equaliser, but City defended their lead until the final whistle.
The victory gave Manchester City three points from a derby that had everything — a red card, two shots hitting the post, a controversial goal and a long VAR check.
For Haaland, the goal was another important moment against Manchester United. It also gave City a memorable victory at Old Trafford despite playing most of the match with 10 players.
