Manchester City Defeats Wolves 2-1 Amid Offside Controversy

Manchester City, the reigning Premier League champions secured their sixth win in eight matches this season with a 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday. The match featured controversy surrounding John Stones’ dramatic 95th-minute winner, scored from a corner by Phil Foden. Referee Chris Kavanagh initially ruled the goal out for offside due to Bernardo Silva’s positioning in front of Wolves goalkeeper José Sá but VAR overturned the decision after a review.

As the Manchester City players celebrated, the linesman flagged offside prompting VAR to recommend Kavanagh check the pitchside monitor. Replays revealed that Silva ducked and did not obstruct Sá’s line of sight leading Kavanagh to award the goal. The Premier League’s match center noted that the VAR determined Silva had no impact on Sá’s ability to play the ball. Stones expressed uncertainty about the call, initially thinking the goal had been disallowed but later agreed it was the correct decision, despite his bias.

Replays also showed Silva nudging Sá before the corner, but since a player cannot be offside from a corner, the goal stood as he had moved away by the time Stones struck the ball. Wolves manager Gary O’Neil did not specifically address the nudge on Sá but argued that the offside call against Silva should have remained. He acknowledged the gray area in such decisions, stating he had often seen outcomes not in his favor.

Former City defender Micah Richards remarked on the inconsistency of officiating, noting that while slight contact occurred, it likely affected Sá’s positioning. Daniel Sturridge a former Liverpool striker believed Silva timed his movement well and argued that while he may have slightly affected Sá, the goal remained valid.