Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez described the decision to allow Manchester City’s derby-day winner as “unacceptable”.
Erling Haaland’s strike on the hour mark was initially disallowed for offside, only for a VAR check to overturn the on-field decision.
The Premier League Match Centre said the VAR “determined that Haaland was in an onside position” and deemed that “while in an offside position, [Enzo] Fernandez didn’t play the ball”.
Enzo Maresca’s City, who were at a numerical disadvantage from the 23rd minute when Phil Foden was sent off for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes, held on to take all three points away from Old Trafford.
Speaking to Sky Sports about the decisive VAR call, Argentina centre-back Martinez said: “I think it was offside.
“What I can’t understand is the rules. He [Fernandez] was there, I went to him because he was there in front of me. That’s why Haaland was free at the back. But I want to be calm now, I want to control myself.
“It’s so hard because you lose, you lose the derby, you lose three points at home. Every season they come to our club, explain one hour, one hour and a half the rules and they look so confident with that.
“Then after, five, six people doing this kind of mistake in the Premier League is unacceptable because it’s the best league in the world, you have the best teams in the world, the best players in the world.”