Manchester United central defender Lisandro Martinez has broken his silence regarding the controversial defensive breakdown that led to Erling Haaland’s match-winning goal in Sunday’s Manchester derby, labeling the decision by match officials and VAR an absolute "injustice."
Manchester City secured a narrow 1-0 victory over their local rivals, but the game was marred by contentious refereeing calls that left the Red Devils fuming post-match.
Speaking to journalists in the post-match mixed zone, the 27-year-old Argentine international explained the exact sequence of events inside the 18-yard box that resulted in Haaland being left completely unattended at the back post.
Martinez asserted that Manchester City midfielder Enzo Fernandez was standing in an active offside position directly in front of him prior to the delivery.
According to Martinez, Fernandez’s positioning directly impeded his line of movement, forcing him to step forward and engage the offside player rather than dropping back to cover the Norwegian striker.
Expressing deep frustration with the quality and consistency of Premier League officiating, Martinez highlighted the ongoing confusion surrounding the interpretation of offside interference.
He noted that while PGMOL officials visit club training grounds at the beginning of every season to explain rule updates with great confidence, match officials routinely make inexplicable errors in high-stakes games.
Martinez stated firmly that had Fernandez not been occupying an illegal, active offside position in his immediate path, he would have easily marked Haaland and prevented the goal.
The derby defeat continues a turbulent start to the Premier League campaign for Manchester United. Following the 1-0 loss at the hands of Pep Guardiola's side, the Red Devils find themselves languishing in 13th place in the Premier League table after four matches.
With just four points accumulated from a possible twelve—comprising one win, one draw, and two defeats—Manchester United have scored seven goals while conceding seven, heightening pressure on the squad ahead of their upcoming fixtures.
"He was right there! I approached him because he was directly in front of me. That is why Haaland was unmarked at the back." — Lisandro Martinez
#LisandroMartinez #ManchesterUnited #ManCity #ManchesterDerby #ErlingHaaland #PremierLeague #EPL
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