While the technicalities of the decision dominated much of the post-match discussion, Rooney provided a lighter take on the slow-motion drama that unfolded as the ball rolled toward the goal. Rooney revealed that his guest in the studio, former City goalkeeper Joe Hart, had made a sharp observation during the live broadcast regarding the lack of pace on Cherki's strike.
"Joe Hart was saying in here, when we were watching the game, it was like... it was like watching the curling at the Winter Olympics," Rooney joked. The comparison referred to the agonisingly slow speed at which the ball moved, allowing Szoboszlai and Haaland time to physically wrestle with one another as they tried to influence whether the ball would actually cross the line. The presenter echoed this sentiment, suggesting that Cherki was partially to blame for the controversy, adding: "I think we need to give Rayan Cherki some pointers on how to actually score a goal from the halfway line... if he just hit that with a bit of intent, none of this would be happening."
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