MUTV pundit responds when asked if Man Utd should have had penalty v City

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Manchester United fell to a defeat away at City after failing to hold onto an early lead at The Etihad.

Marcus Rashford‘s early goal gave Manchester United hope away at City, and Erik ten Hag‘s side went into half-time with a 1-0 lead.

City went on to win 3-1, with United falling apart in the second half, and one particular moment changed the game.

Marcus Rashford believed he was fouled while trying to spring a counter-attack, and City went straight up the other end and equalised. It was one-way traffic thereafter.

Marcus Rashford wanted free-kick

The non-free-kick was a talking point post-match, but it was not an excuse anybody was really accepting, even on Manchester United’s in-house media channel.

Former defender Wes Brown was asked if it was clutching at straws to be bemoaning the referee’s call, and he agreed.

“A little bit. On another day it might have been given”, Brown responded.

He added: “Ultimately City were the better team, lots of shots on goal. We did well up until a certain point then it got a bit too much, and then a couple of mistakes here and there.

“We defended really well on shots and clearances but we were in that position too much, you can only defend like that for so long.”

John O’Shea was more questioning, commenting: “Why would Marcus go down there? He’s through on goal.”

• READ MORE: Who is Marcus Rashford? Inside the life of Man Utd’s book-writing, government-tackling ace

City evade penalty call on Alejandro Garnacho

The other contentious decision came when Manchester United were 2-1 down, when Ederson appeared to catch Alejandro Garnacho inside the penalty box.

This one was checked by VAR but no foul was given and City escaped with a goal kick.

Discussing the incident, Brown felt Ederson was fortunate – but was always going to get away with it because he is a goalkeeper.

He said: “There could also be a question that it is reckless. The ‘keeper will get away with it. He got the ball but in today’s rules, maybe, but I’ve not really seen that given with a ‘keeper.

“I’ve been sent off for that same thing. The ref sent me off, [said] I wasn’t in control.”

‘Reckless’ was a word used by Erik ten Hag after the game, with the manager commenting: “We had the moment of the reckless action of the goalkeeper of City and after that attack we conceded the goal.”

O’Shea was in agreement, commenting: “Sometimes ‘keepers get away with that. He does get a touch of the ball but the trailing leg catches Garnacho. That could be a penalty, possibly.”

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