Fulham manager Marco Silva condemned the match officials for allowing Manchester City’s second goal in their 5-1 defeat at the Etihad Stadium, with Erling Haaland admitting he too would have been angry at the decision.
Referee Michael Oliver and Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Tony Harrington ruled that Manuel Akanji’s offside was not interfering with play when Nathan Ake’s header bounced off him and into the net to put City back in front just before half time in what was a close Premier League match. .
Fulham calmed down in the second half at Etihad Stadium But Silva clearly felt that the turning point was Aki’s goal.
“Anyone who plays football and has some knowledge of the game will be 100% sure that the VAR will disallow the goal,” he said.
The more times you see it, the more you know it must not be allowed.
“The player moved off the line of the ball towards the goal. It’s clearly offside. It’s impossible for the VAR not to see it.”
Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno led the protests on the pitch and TV replays indicated he did not start moving until the ball had passed Akanji.
“It was offside,” Haaland admitted in an interview with beIN SPORTS after the end of the match. “I feel bad for them, and I’ll feel angry afterwards, too. It must be a terrible feeling.”
The only consolation for Silva was that he avoided picking up a fourth yellow card in four matches, although he did spend a good deal of time brushing off his opinions of fourth official Michael Salisbury as the first half drew to a close.
Silva’s problem
City’s second goal is not the only problem Silva will have to contend with this weekend. He also has to figure out the best way to reintegrate superstar Palhinha into his team.
The Portuguese believed he would complete his dream move to Bayern Munich on Friday.
The 28-year-old traveled to Germany, completed a medical, had pictures taken in Bayern’s iconic shirt and had an internal interview, only to be told that Fulham’s inability to secure a replacement meant the deal was cancelled.
“It was a difficult day for him, one of the most difficult days of his life,” Silva said.
“He would love to be with us but it was a great opportunity to go to one of the biggest clubs in the world. Nobody can say how he feels right now.
“He will need all the support from our fans and his team-mates,” he added.
