The Manchester derby was settled by a single Erling Haaland goal, though plenty of supporters and observers felt the strike should never have stood.
Haaland converted a cross from Josko Gvardiol at the back post, but the referee initially ruled the effort out for offside before a VAR review overturned the decision.
The goal proved to be the only one of the game, handing Manchester City all three points and intensifying the debate around the decision considerably.
The match had already generated significant controversy in the first half, with Phil Foden receiving a red card for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes, who appeared to have done something similar yet went unpunished.
With so much already discussed from the opening period, the VAR reversal in the second half became the dominant talking point from the fixture at full time.
Not only did Haaland appear to be in an offside position when Gvardiol delivered his cross, but Enzo Fernandez also looked offside and made a clear diving header attempt before the ball reached Haaland.
Upon closer inspection, the cross from Gvardiol took a deflection off Patrick Dorgu, which may have reset the phase of play, though the extent of the deviation remained a significant point of debate.
The official Premier League Match Centre account explained: “VAR checked the referee’s call of no goal for offside and determined that Haaland was in an onside position and recommended that the goal was awarded.”
The statement continued: “The VAR also deemed that while in an offside position, Fernandez didn’t play the ball.”
The attached clip demonstrated that Dorgu’s toe was somehow playing Haaland offside, despite the naked eye suggesting otherwise from the wider broadcast angle, with semi-automated technology appearing central to the ruling.
The laws of the game state that a player will be penalised if they are “clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent,” which Fernandez visibly appeared to do.
The critical final clause of that rule, requiring that the action must impact an opponent, may ultimately be what saved Fernandez from being flagged, though Lisandro Martinez, his nearest marker, may have a differing perspective.
Whether the correct call was made will be argued fiercely by supporters on both sides, but the three points went to Manchester City regardless of the ongoing dispute.