VAR has again sparked outrage after a six-minute delay in Manchester City’s Carabao Cup semi-final, first leg at Newcastle on Tuesday.
Antoine Semenyo thought he had doubled City’s lead on the night with his second of the game at St James’ Park, only for the goal to be ruled out for ‘subjective offside’ following a lengthy VAR check.
Semenyo flicked home Tijjani Reijnders’ corner but the officials adjudged Erling Haaland to have been in an offside position and impacting Newcastle defender Malick Thiaw’s ability to play the ball.
It took the VAR team of Stuart Attwell and Craig Taylor around four minutes to recommend an on-field review to referee Chris Kavanagh, who eventually decided to chalk off Semenyo’s goal.
In total, there were more than six minutes between the ball hitting the net and the match restarting, with the officials taking five and a half minutes to disallow it.
‘The second goal should have counted by the way,’ Semenyo told the cameras as he walked off the pitch after full-time.
Antoine Semenyo’s goal was ruled out for subjective offside against Erling Haaland
Chris Kavanagh went to the monitor after a VAR recommendation that took around four minutes
City star Bernardo Silva was also upset at the decision. ‘It should have been 3-0,’ he told ITV.
‘I don’t want to say too much because we know how these things work but I saw it and it just looks ridiculous to me.
‘Even though we won, it is still frustrating.’
Newcastle legend Alan Shearer admitted he would have been ‘going mad’ if the same decision had gone against the Magpies.
‘It’s c**p and they have got it all wrong,’ he added.
Chris Sutton, commentating on the match for Sky Sports, said: ‘The game’s gone.’
Fans were also fuming on X, both at the time it took to rule out the goal and the decision itself.
‘VAR rules out perfectly good goals and destroys the fan experience, for no material gain. The most destructive change to the sport we have ever seen,’ one said.
Another wrote: ‘They’re absolutely ruining this sport. That decision should kill off VAR.’
Semenyo put Pep Guardiola’s side in front eight minutes after the restart as he continued his superb start to his City career following his £65million move from Bournemouth.
Rayan Cherki then ensured City would take a significant advantage back to the Etihad for the second leg as he netted in stoppage time, leaving holders Newcastle with a mountain to climb if they are to reach the Wembley final.
