Premier League: 10 talking points from the weekend’s action
Controversy rules the Manchester derby, Coventry get dunked on and Tottenham still can’t score a goal
The 199th Manchester derby was defined by two controversial refereeing decisions: Phil Foden’s first-half red card for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes, and the VAR intervention to award Erling Haaland’s winning goal despite Enzo Fernández appearing to interfere with play from an offside position. In both cases, a healthy dose of common sense might have led to a different outcome – and Pro Ref later admitted that Haaland’s goal should not have stood. Still, it’s tough to argue that the final result was harsh on United. Foden’s dismissal gave the hosts a huge opportunity they failed to take, their best chance falling to Bryan Mbeumo in stoppage time. Michael Carrick began his reign with a 2-0 home derby win against 11 men in January, so this felt like a backwards step for the manager, unable to find a way to control the game. Carrick also bemoaned City’s two days of extra rest after Champions League games this week – but chose to keep Fernandes and others on for 90 minutes in the 4-0 stroll past Sabah. United’s next two league games are away at Fulham and at home to Spurs. Carrick will need to be smarter to stop an early-season wobble becoming something more serious. Niall McVeigh
Match report: Manchester United 0-1 Manchester City
Match report: Coventry 0-5 Brighton
Match report: Sunderland 0-2 Arsenal
