Erling Haaland's winner for Manchester City against Manchester United has sparked conversations about the effectiveness of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) in the Premier League.
Pundit Ally McCoist has joined in the conversation, clearly asking for the VAR to be scrapped after what unfolded during the Manchester derby.
Haaland scored a goal which was ruled offside by the on-pitch assistant referee, only for the VAR to overturn the decision without considering other factors in the build-up to the goal.
Manchester City ended up picking up a win, which they likely deserved by the balance of play, but Pro Ref (formerly PGMOL) were forced to issue an apology to Manchester United shortly after the game, after an officiating error that allowed the goal to stand.
Ally McCoist Calls for VAR to Be Scrapped After Haaland Goal
Ally McCoist was on talkSPORT's Breakfast show alongside former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor, and they discussed the Manchester derby.
McCoist was critical of the VAR, pointing out that it would not be required further if clear calls like the Manchester City one could be messed up.
He argued it was obvious to everyone watching that Enzo Fernandez had interfered with the play, but the VAR did not catch it, raising questions about its use.
"If the people in VAR room are looking at that, and they do not think that he [Enzo] is interfering with play, we need to get RID of the VAR, that's the PROBLEM.
"After making mistakes like that with VAR, what's the POINT in having VAR?," he asked.
Matt Donohue was on VAR duty for the game, and he was responsible for the error which allowed the goal to stand.
Why Haaland’s Manchester Derby Goal Should Not Have Stood
The VAR decision has been a major talking point following the derby meeting between Manchester United and Manchester City after Sunday's clash.
The game's main talking point came in the 60th minute, when Erling Haaland stabbed home from a difficult angle and wheeled away in celebration, only to see the assistant referee's flag raised.
Referee Michael Oliver ruled out the goal before indicating that he was listening to communication from VAR Donohue at Stockley Park in West London.
The VAR was reviewing Haaland's position in the attack on the assumption that the goal had been ruled out solely because he was in an offside position.
Haaland's goal stood because he cleared both of the original doubts in the mind of the VAR, while a third factor was missed.
The initial check was to see whether the Norwegian striker was in an offside position when Josko Gvardiol made his cross, as that was the original bone of contention.
Lines were drawn and it was determined that Patrick Dorgu's outstretched leg had just played Haaland onside.
The second check was to confirm if Enzo Fernandez had touched the ball before Haaland scored, as the Argentina international was clearly stood in an offside position as Semenyo's cross came in.
If Fernandez had not been in an offside position and touched the ball onto Haaland, the goal would have been ruled out because by then, the striker was already offside.
The VAR confirmed that Fernandez had not touched the ball despite throwing himself desperately towards it, and the goal was confirmed, as a result.
Donohue and the VAR team at Stockley Park failed to identify that Fernandez had impacted play, as Lisandro Martinez could not clear the ball because of his movement, and goalkeeper Senne Lammens was preparing to save his effort from point-blank range.
The combination above ensured that neither Martinez nor Lammens was able to stop Haaland's effort as it flew into the back of the net a fraction of a second later.
Manchester City Defend Their Lead Despite Being Reduced to 10 Men
Much has been said about the controversial goal that decided the game at Old Trafford, but not enough credit has been given to Manchester City for how they managed the game.
They were reduced to ten men after just 23 minutes away from home against their bitter rivals, but the players and coach stuck to their task of nullifying the home side for the best part of 75 minutes.
Enzo Maresca reacted to Phil Foden's sending off by assigning Rayan Cherki to play on the right wing for the remainder of the first half, before the enterprising Iliman Ndiaye was sent on at the break.
The Senegal international suited the game state even before his side scored against the run of play, and their goal made his substitution more of a masterstroke from City's Italian tactician.
Ndiaye became the first City substitute since 2003-04, at least, to attempt 5+ dribbles (six) and win 5+ fouls (five) in a Premier League game.
His ball-carrying and trickery, combined with his work rate in defence, made him a perfect choice for a game against 11 players.
Despite their numerical advantage, Manchester United generated just one big chance, with Bryan Mbeumo forcing Gianluigi Donnarumma into a brilliant save in the closing stages.
City kept them at bay expertly, with Elliot Anderson and Marc Guehi cleverly managing the situation at the back, and Haaland providing a threat in transition.
