VAR continues to do the very opposite of the technology’s supposed function: it creates controversy rather than eradicating it. Manchester City enter the international break with a maximum 12 points, though this fourth win of the season was hardly the champions at their smoothest, despite Erling Haaland scoring his fifth Premier League hat-trick, and it turned on a second goal that restored their lead and left Fulham furious.
From Phil Foden’s corner, a Nathan Aké header flew in, going past Manuel Akanji who leaped over it from an offside position and appeared to be “in the line of vision” (making this an infringement, the law states) of Fulham’s goalkeeper, Bernd Leno. But Tony Harrington, the VAR, ruled Akanji was not impeding Leno and he had also judged the Swiss not to have touched the ball (another potential illegality).
Cue an understandably livid Fulham manager, Marco Silva. Further disquiet followed: after the home side had thrown a ball on believing it was needed for the restart, Kyle Walker hurled one back in the direction of Luís Boa Morte, one of the visiting coaches, and words were exchanged.
All of this occurred after Fulham had fought back admirably, having overcome City’s initial lead through Julián Álvarez and the aftershocks of the farrago of João Palhinha’s deadline day transfer to Bayern Munich (he took a medical and posed for pictures in the strip) that collapsed when time ran out.
City were not their dominant selves. Tom Cairney’s withdrawal due to a 16th-minute injury, to compund Palhinha’s absence, meant Fulham were two creative midfield forces down but they tapped passes about and took the match to their hosts.
City’s opener was as much a hotchpotch as their display. Mateo Kovacic’s pass to Haaland impressed, but the striker’s shot was a mis-hit that became a lucky cross for Álvarez to roll home at close range.
The champions are usually ruthless when taking the lead. Not here. Two minutes later, they had conceded. Andreas Pereira swung in a corner from the right and Raúl Jiménez helped the ball on. Bobby De Cordova-Reid shot, Ederson saved but Tim Ream followed up to equalise.
In Kalvin Phillips, Bernardo Silva, Sergio Gómez, Josko Gvardiol and Matheus Nunes (the last two signed this summer), the treble winners had £226m of talent spread across five substitutes. Yet their on-field colleagues grasped for control and rhythm on a day when another fresh acquisition, Jérémy Doku, made his debut.
In Jack Grealish, not in the squad due to a minor thigh problem that casts doubt over his England involvement next week, there was a further £100m footballer missing, but the biggest absences were the long-term injured Kevin De Bruyne and the manager, Pep Guardiola, who had to watch his misfiring team from home while convalescing after a back operation.
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All great sides find a way when struggling. As the interval neared, City took the lead courtesy of Aké’s header and while they remained discordant after the goal they were still capable of flashes of brilliance, as was the case for Haaland’s third. Akanji found Rodri, who relayed the ball to Álvarez. His instant pass deflected off Ream into the Norwegian’s path, whose cool finish brought him his fourth goal this season.
Game over? Fulham thought not as soon Jiménez teed up Luke Harris, on for Cairney, but his insipid effort was easy for Ederson to clutch.
Haaland scored his second via a penalty after Issa Diop felled Álvarez in the area and his hat-trick arrived in added time, Gómez’s trickery along the left creating the opening for the prolific marksman.
After collecting yet another match ball, Haaland reflected on City’s slow start to the match. “Every year is like this at this club. We start a bit late and a bit sloppy because we play right until the last game [of every season] because we are the best club. It is how it is. We will only get better and better from here.”
Of Haaland, Juanma Lillo, City’s assistant manager, said: “In the first half none of the team played well, we didn’t find the freshness and our opponents kept the ball well, it would have been difficult for any No. 9. I said in the break to him: ‘This is not an easy game, but you can still help us by scoring.’ And he scored three. This guy was born to score goals ”
City winning when misfiring and Haaland still scoring: ominous for their rivals.
