Phil Foden Sent Off in Manchester Derby as 10-Man City Beat United 1-0 Through Haaland VAR Goal

Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden was sent off in the 23rd minute of the Manchester derby on September 13, 2026, for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes, but Enzo Maresca’s 10-man side still claimed a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford after Erling Haaland scored a second-half goal that was initially disallowed for offside before being overturned by VAR.

The result extended City’s perfect start to the 2026-27 Premier League season to four wins from four matches, while Manchester United slumped to a second consecutive defeat under their current manager, intensifying pressure on a club already dealing with fierce fan protests against its ownership before kickoff.

Foden’s Red Card: What Happened in the 23rd Minute

The defining moment of the first half came in the 23rd minute when Phil Foden and Bruno Fernandes clashed on the far touchline. According to the Associated Press, Foden went down after contact from Fernandes, then reacted by lashing out with a two-footed kick into the United captain’s body. Referee Michael Oliver immediately showed Foden a straight red card.

The Premier League Match Centre subsequently released the audio exchange between Oliver and the VAR room. Oliver told his colleagues: “Red card Phil Foden — kick out into the body of Bruno,” to which the VAR replied: “That looks a clear red card to me, secondary movement,” according to Sports Mole. The red card was checked and confirmed as violent conduct.

Former Premier League referee Mark Halsey, writing in The Sun, offered his analysis of the incident: “Phil Foden can have no complaints about the red card,” Halsey said, though he added that Fernandes was “lucky not to get a yellow” for the initial provocation that preceded Foden’s reaction. The sequence began with Fernandes aiming what multiple outlets described as a “sly dig” at the City midfielder, kicking him in the back as both players contested for position near the touchline.

Haaland’s Controversial Winner Decided by VAR

Despite playing the final 67 minutes with 10 men, Manchester City found the breakthrough through Erling Haaland in the 60th minute. The Norwegian striker’s goal was initially flagged offside by the assistant referee, but following a lengthy VAR review, the decision was overturned and the goal was awarded, giving City a 1-0 lead they would not relinquish.

The decision prompted fury from the Manchester United camp and from supporters inside Old Trafford. The VAR intervention proved to be the decisive moment of a match that had been goalless for over an hour, with City’s numerical disadvantage appearing to nullify United’s home advantage for long stretches of the encounter.

Haaland’s goal continued his prolific start to the 2026-27 campaign. Entering the derby, the striker had already scored three goals in City’s opening three Premier League matches, all of which Maresca’s side had won.

Maresca’s Perfect Start Continues at Manchester City

The victory was a statement result for Enzo Maresca, who was appointed Manchester City manager on June 29, 2026, on a three-year deal after City paid Chelsea approximately £17 million in compensation for his services, according to The Guardian. The Italian had previously served as Pep Guardiola’s assistant during City’s treble-winning 2022-23 campaign before taking the Chelsea job, and his return to the Etihad represented a homecoming of sorts.

Maresca had already won all three of City’s Premier League matches before the derby — victories that had placed the club at the top of the early-season table with nine points and a goal difference of plus-five. The derby win at Old Trafford took that record to a perfect four from four.

City captain Ruben Dias spoke before the match about his confidence in the new manager, telling the BBC that Maresca was “the perfect person” for the Manchester City job. Dias was named as the new City captain by Maresca ahead of the 2026-27 season, replacing Bernardo Silva, who departed the club during the summer transfer window. Erling Haaland, Marc Guehi, and Gianluigi Donnarumma were also named as part of the leadership group.

The appointment of Maresca as Guardiola’s successor marked the end of an era at the Etihad Stadium. Guardiola departed after a decade in charge that yielded six Premier League titles, a Champions League triumph, and an unprecedented domestic treble. Yet early indications under Maresca have been encouraging, with the Italian implementing his own ideas while maintaining City’s competitive standards.

Manchester United’s Troubled Start Under New Management

For Manchester United, the derby defeat compounded a difficult start to the 2026-27 season. The club entered the match with just four points from their opening three Premier League fixtures — one win, one draw, and one loss — including a frustrating 2-2 draw with Everton the previous week in which United twice took the lead but failed to hold on.

The derby loss made it two defeats in quick succession, raising questions about United’s ability to compete with the division’s strongest sides this season. Michael Carrick, who initially took interim charge of United in January 2026 after Ruben Amorim was sacked, had earned a permanent two-year contract in May 2026 after guiding the club to European qualification. But the early signs of the new campaign have been mixed at best.

Carrick’s squad features several notable additions, including Bryan Mbeumo, Youri Tielemans, and Matheus Cunha, while established names such as Bruno Fernandes, Lisandro Martínez, and Kobbie Mainoo continue to form the spine of the team. Yet consistency has proved elusive in the opening weeks.

Kobbie Mainoo Impresses Despite Defeat

One of the few bright spots for Manchester United in the derby was the performance of 21-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who received praise from multiple outlets for his display in the center of the park. The BBC awarded Mainoo a rating of 7.76 out of 10, while Goal.com gave him 7 out of 10, describing it as “a delightful return to form in his first Premier League start of the season.”

According to match statistics, Mainoo completed 97 percent of his passes (65 of 67), recorded 83 touches — the most of any player on the pitch — and made three key passes during the match. He also completed 100 percent of his dribble attempts. Goal.com’s report noted that Mainoo “had the courage to take on City players, play risky passes, and wasn’t afraid to do the dirty work either.”

The England international’s performance was a reminder of his considerable talent, even if it was not enough to change the outcome. With United’s season in need of a spark, Mainoo’s form in midfield could prove crucial in the weeks ahead.

Fan Protests Rock Old Trafford Before Kickoff

The on-field drama was preceded by significant off-field unrest. Thousands of Manchester United supporters staged demonstrations both inside and outside Old Trafford before kickoff, protesting against the club’s ownership, according to the BBC.

The protests were organized primarily by The 1958, a prominent fan group, and focused on what supporters described as a “season ticket ban fiasco.” According to ESPN, United had subjected 685 accounts to a ban and sanctioned 464 supporters in a crackdown on ticket touting, a move that angered large sections of the fanbase who viewed the punishments as disproportionate.

The Red Army supporters’ group confirmed on the eve of the derby that there would be no flag display against Manchester City, a deliberate act of protest. Many chants during the demonstrations were directed at minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family, with anger also expressed over premium pricing and new stadium plans. Goal.com reported that supporters carried banners reading: “The way you treat us is a disgrace.”

The Guardian’s pre-match reporting described the atmosphere surrounding the fixture as “febrile,” noting a growing rift between the club and its supporters that showed no signs of healing.

Foden Faces Three-Match Domestic Ban

The immediate consequence for Phil Foden is a three-match domestic suspension for violent conduct, which applies across all competitions. According to Sports Mole, the 26-year-old will miss City’s EFL Cup match against Norwich City, their Premier League fixture against Sunderland, and the post-international-break league match against Liverpool.

The ban is a significant blow for Maresca’s squad. Foden had started the season in strong form, registering two assists in City’s opening three Premier League matches while averaging an 86.7 percent passing accuracy, according to ESPN statistics. His absence for three matches, including the high-profile visit of Liverpool, will test City’s squad depth during a critical early phase of the campaign.

The incident also raised questions about the provocation that preceded the sending-off. Multiple outlets noted that Fernandes appeared to kick Foden first, with the Manchester United captain making contact with the City player’s back before Foden reacted. While Foden’s retaliation was universally deemed worthy of a red card, several pundits and former referees suggested Fernandes was fortunate to escape without a booking for his role in the altercation.

Match Statistics: City Dominate Possession but United Create More Chances

The match statistics painted an intriguing picture of a game shaped by the early red card. Despite playing with 10 men for over two-thirds of the match, Manchester City dominated possession with 68.2 percent compared to United’s 31.8 percent, according to Sky Sports data.

United created significantly more shooting opportunities, registering 11 shots to City’s seven and an emphatic seven shots on target compared to City’s solitary effort — Haaland’s goal. The statistics underscored the frustration for Carrick’s side, who created the better chances throughout the second half but were unable to convert their superiority into goals, while City’s one shot on target proved decisive.

Context: A New Era in the Manchester Derby

The September 13 fixture marked the first Manchester derby of a new era for both clubs. For Manchester City, it was their first derby under Enzo Maresca, who replaced Pep Guardiola at the end of the 2025-26 season. For Manchester United, it was Michael Carrick’s first derby as permanent manager, having previously overseen a 2-0 derby victory in January 2026 while serving as interim boss following Amorim’s dismissal.

Maresca’s return to Manchester was well documented. The Italian had left Chelsea — where he had guided the Blues to the FIFA Club World Cup title — in early January 2026, and City moved quickly to bring him back to a club where he had worked as both Guardiola’s assistant and the head of the Elite Development Squad. His familiarity with the club’s infrastructure, playing philosophy, and squad was seen as a major advantage in what is one of the most demanding jobs in world football.

Reuters reported ahead of the match that Carrick’s squad had been boosted by a 4-0 Champions League victory over Sabah FK on Thursday, but noted that the derby would provide the “acid test” of whether this United side could compete at the highest level. That test, ultimately, was failed.

What Happens Next

For Manchester City, the focus shifts to navigating three matches without Foden. The EFL Cup tie against Norwich City presents a lower-stakes opportunity to rotate the squad, but the Sunderland and Liverpool fixtures will demand full-strength selections. Maresca will need to find solutions in the wide areas and attacking midfield positions where Foden typically operates, with Rayan Cherki, Iliman Ndiaye, and Antoine Semenyo among the options available.

Manchester United, meanwhile, must regroup quickly. Carrick’s side showed enough quality in the derby — particularly through Mainoo’s midfield control and the number of chances created — to suggest the performance was better than the result. But football is a results business, and consecutive defeats to start the season have left United in the bottom half of the Premier League table with four points from four matches.

The fan protests add another layer of complexity. The relationship between the Old Trafford support and the club’s ownership group shows no sign of improvement, and further demonstrations are expected at future home matches. For Carrick, the challenge is not only to improve results on the pitch but to do so in an environment of growing unrest off it.

As for Foden, the 23rd-minute red card will be remembered as a moment of costly indiscipline. Whatever the provocation from Fernandes, the England international’s two-footed retaliation left Oliver with no choice but to show a straight red — a decision that VAR emphatically supported. At 26 years old and in his prime, Foden will be expected to learn from the incident, but the three-match ban means City must do without one of their most creative players during a demanding stretch of fixtures that could define the early shape of the title race.

Sources

• the Associated Press — apnews.com
• Man City games Phil Foden will miss as Michael Oliver explains Man United red card – Sports Mole — sportsmole.co.uk
• according to the BBC — bbc.co.uk
• Man City’s Phil Foden sent off in derby after kick on Man United’s Bruno Fernandes — africa.espn.com
• Phil Foden: Manchester City midfielder sent off in derby — bbc.com

Photo: Steffen Prößdorf, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons