Erling Haaland showed some brutal honesty yesterday, and it is very refreshing to see. Typically, when it comes to any controversial call, everybody sticks to the party line for their team. If the call goes against your side, then it was a blow call. If the ruling helped your team, then it was the correct judgment.
Haaland broke with convention, and said the opposing manager, Fulham boss Marco Silva, is right to be raging after yesterday’s 5-1 hammering by Haaland’s City on Saturday.
It was offside,” Haaland said to beIN SPORTS of Nathan Ake’s header, scored seconds before halftime while the game was tied 1-1.
“I feel bad for them — I would be fuming after this as well. It must be a horrible feeling.”
The video showed that Manuel Akanji was offside, while he was placed in front of Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno. Akanji made a jump that allowed the ball to go between his legs and into the net.
Instead of going into the dressing room tied with City, the momentum turned on that goal, and then a rout was on. Haaland, who won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award on Wednesday, as well as the UEFA Player of the Year honor on Thursday, went on to score a scintillating and record-breaking hat-trick.
It was his fifth hatter in the Premier League. Silva articulated how much that play changed the course of the game, and how the blown call screwed his team over.
“That moment made a huge impact. Everyone that plays football, has some knowledge about football, are 100% sure they have to disallow that. It’s impossible to not,” Silva told reporters.
“It’s a clear offside, it concerns us how that goal was not disallowed. The more you times you see that moment, the more sure you are to disallow it.
“Our players saw it, everyone on the pitch at that moment has the same opinion.”
As you can see from the photo above, Silva was quite upset, and he shockingly waved his arms at the officials after the VAR check.
Most observers on social media, who saw the play, disagreed with the ruling. The call was widely criticized.
Sais broadcaster Michael Dawson:
“I completely disagree with the decision. Completely offside, no wonder Marco Silva’s angry. Leno takes an extra step because he thinks Akanji is going to take an extra touch.”
Both sides are now on international break. Manchester City sit top of the table, the only side that is perfect so far. Fulham are 13th heading into Sunday’s action.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.