Michael Oliver made a crucial mistake during Manchester City’s 2-2 draw against Arsenal that VAR couldn’t rectify.
Oliver, tasked with refereeing a highly charged match at the Etihad Stadium, sent off Leandro Trossard at the end of the first half for time-wasting and had to manage several heated moments, including clashes between Erling Haaland and Gabriel Magalhães in the second half.
However, one key error occurred before Trossard’s dismissal, which VAR couldn’t address. The mistake involved Arsenal’s quick free-kick that led to Riccardo Calafiori’s equalizer in the 22nd minute.
Oliver had waved Kyle Walker over for a warning but failed to allow the Manchester City defender to return to his position before restarting the play. Arsenal capitalized on the space created, with Gabriel Martinelli assisting Calafiori for a superb goal. While Arsenal’s quick thinking should be commended, Oliver should have delayed the restart until Walker was back in position.
Since it was a straightforward free-kick and no rules prevent a quick restart, VAR had no power to intervene.
There was also an early clash between Kai Havertz and Rodri just seconds into the game, which VAR reviewed but found no wrongdoing.
Gary Neville, who was commentating on Sky Sports, pointed out the referee’s mistake, saying: “He’s pulled him out of position but not allowed him to get back. I would be annoyed.” Pep Guardiola also mentioned the incident in his post-match interview, referring to the interruptions that affected the game.
Next time, Manchester City players might be more cautious about stepping away for a chat with the referee, fearing a repeat of this incident.