Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has erupted in a post-match fury, branding the decision to award Manchester City a first-half penalty as "soft" and questioning the integrity of the officiating after a crushing 3-1 derby defeat at the Etihad.
The flashpoint occurred with the game poised at 0-0, when a Rasmus Hojlund challenge on City's Jack Grealish was deemed a foul by referee Paul Tierney after a VAR review. The controversial call handed Erling Haaland the chance to open the scoring from the spot, which he duly converted.
While Ten Hag conceded his side were second best to their "brilliant" city rivals, the Dutchman was incensed by the pivotal moment that swung the momentum irrevocably in City's favour. "You have to accept the referee's decision? I don't," Ten Hag stated defiantly in his press conference. "It was a very soft penalty... you know when you are in a Manchester derby, you need to be sure it's a penalty.
City's dominance was ultimately confirmed after the break. Haaland powered in a header for his second before Phil Foden unleashed a stunning strike to seemingly put the game beyond doubt. A spectacular, long-range consolation goal from Marcus Rashford offered United a brief glimmer of hope, but it was too little, too late.
The result sees Pep Guardiola's champions close the gap on league leaders Liverpool, cementing their status as firm favourites for an unprecedented fourth consecutive title. For United, the defeat is a devastating blow to their hopes of Champions League qualification, leaving them 11 points adrift of the top four.
The post-match narrative was dominated not by City's commanding performance, but by the contentious penalty and Ten Hag's scathing assessment, setting the stage for a fiery end to the season and raising more questions about the use of VAR in the Premier League's biggest fixtures.
