Manuel Akanji was the man caught out by a controversial offside call that swung the Manchester derby in United's favour on Saturday afternoon.
Akanji stood off Marcus Rashford, despite the Manchester United striker clearly standing in an offside decision. Rashford did not touch the ball, but did appear to shield it from Akanji and draw the attention of centre-back partner Nathan Aké, before Bruno Fernandes swept in to level the game at 1-1.
Despite vociferous City protestations, the goal was ultimately given, as Rashford had not touched the ball.
Speaking after the game, Akanji could not hide his anger at referee Stuart Attwell's decision, calling it a "joke" and questioning whether changes to the offside law were the right move.
Manchester derby: Akanji furious with offside call
Bruno Fernandes' tidy finish to tie up the Manchester derby was mired in controversy, after Marcus Rashford's alleged interference off the ball.
Bruno Fernandes causes scenes at Old Trafford! 💥
His goal is ruled onside after the linesman initially put his flag up! ✅ pic.twitter.com/AJDIGH2Be5— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) January 14, 2023
The explanation of the goal being awarded baffled many, and it was a controversial turning point. Rashford would go on to score the winner for United just minutes later, and City now sit only one point ahead of their Manchester rivals in the Premier League table.
Speaking to the BBC after the derby, City defender Manuel Akanji articulated his anger with the referee's decision to allow the goal to stand, saying the decision was a "joke":
To be honest, for me, the first goal is a joke, that it's going to be allowed like this. In this situation, I see Rashford is clearly offside so I play him on offside.
He runs until the last second and he stops when the ball is in front of him and he is gonna score the goal, and then he stops because Bruno is running from behind and he is not in an offside position. I understand that he doesn't touch the ball but he runs for 30 metres, then he stops.
For me, it's clearly offside. Also that the referee doesn't even look at the situation. When it gets explained at the beginning of the year I thought "these situations are clearly offside."
Akanji can feel hard done by, having played the situation in order to stifle Rashford, despite the United forward being clearly offside from the through ball from Casemiro.
It is quite the turnaround from this season's other derby game, which saw City run rampant in a 6-3 win at the Etihad Stadium. The defeat also comes hot on the heels of City's exit from the League Cup on Wednesday night, after a 2-0 defeat to Southampton.
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