Manchester United’s 1-0 Manchester derby defeat continues to dominate the headlines, with the fallout from the controversial VAR decisions providing plenty to discuss.
Kobbie Mainoo has earned praise from an unlikely source, Bruno Fernandes has faced criticism over the Phil Foden incident, while Michael Carrick has addressed both the defeat and United’s attacking display.
Here are the main Manchester United news and talking points from today.
Elliot Anderson praises Kobbie Mainoo
Manchester City midfielder Elliot Anderson has described Kobbie Mainoo as a “top, top player” after Sunday’s Manchester derby. In our full Mainoo story, Anderson said it was a good battle against Mainoo and praised the United midfielder as both a quality player and a nice person.
Despite United’s defeat, Mainoo was one of their more noticeable performers and came closest to scoring with an effort that hit the post. His development has also accelerated since Michael Carrick took charge.
Agbonlahor calls Bruno Fernandes a cheat
Gabriel Agbonlahor believes United got what they deserved from their derby defeat and argued that the result was about more than the controversial decisions. Our full Bruno Fernandes story details his criticism of Fernandes, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo for failing to make enough of City being reduced to 10 men.
Agbonlahor also accused Fernandes of exaggerating the incident involving Foden and argued that United sat back instead of attacking City after the red card.
Schmeichel calls for VAR to be scrapped
Peter Schmeichel has gone further than most in his criticism of VAR following the derby. In our full Peter Schmeichel story, the former United goalkeeper called for the Premier League to scrap the technology.
Schmeichel believes VAR and refereeing decisions have taken too much of the emotion out of football. He pointed to Haaland’s goal, which was initially ruled out before being overturned, as another example of how celebrations have become more complicated.
Shearer says both Fernandes and Foden should have seen red
Alan Shearer has also criticised the decision surrounding Fernandes and Foden. In our full Shearer story, the former England striker said he believed both players should have been sent off.
Shearer felt Foden was wrong to kick out, but argued that Fernandes also kicked the City midfielder and that the punishment should have been the same for both players.
Carrick backs his attacking players
Michael Carrick has defended Manchester United’s attacking group despite the side failing to score against City. Our full Carrick attack story explains that this was the first time United had failed to score at home after previously scoring in their other home victories.
Carrick stressed that United have several creative players capable of scoring and creating goals and did not want one game to overshadow what they had produced in previous matches.
Micah Richards questions both major decisions
Micah Richards believes referees and VAR had a “bad day” at Old Trafford. In our full refereeing verdict, Richards questioned both Foden’s red card and the decision to allow Haaland’s goal to stand.
He argued that Enzo Fernandez’s movement affected Lisandro Martinez and should therefore have been considered an interference. Richards still gave City credit for their performance with 10 men.
Should Carrick be worried?
The derby defeat has naturally raised questions about United’s start, but our full Carrick assessment explains why the manager does not believe the result will have a lasting impact on the season.
Carrick accepted that United needed to create and score after going behind but pointed to positive periods in the game. He also stressed that United need to return to winning football and build momentum.
Carrick remains frustrated by Haaland goal
Carrick has also explained his frustration with the VAR decision that allowed Haaland’s winner. In our full Haaland VAR story, the United boss admitted he struggled to understand the explanation that Enzo Fernandez had not interfered with play.
Carrick argued that Fernandez had thrown himself towards the ball and that Martinez had reacted to his movement, making the decision particularly difficult for United to accept.
Follow the LIVE! Premier League 2026 / 27 News, Transfers, Updates & Viral Moments
Manchester City star hails Kobbie Mainoo after Manchester derby victory
Manchester City star hails Kobbie Mainoo after Manchester derby victory
‘Bruno Fernandes is a cheat, ‘ pundit tears into Man Utd captain
‘Bruno Fernandes is a cheat, ‘ pundit tears into Man Utd captain