Manchester United's FA Cup clash against Leicester City ended in controversy as Harry Maguire's last-minute winner, which appeared to be clearly offside, was allowed to stand due to the absence of VAR technology in the early rounds of the competition.
The defending FA Cup champions struggled against Premier League strugglers Leicester, falling behind in the first half when Bobby De Cordova-Reid beat Andre Onana. Joshua Zirkzee managed to level the score for United in the 68th minute, setting the stage for a dramatic finish that would become the talking point of the match.
In the third minute of injury time, Maguire found the back of the net from Bruno Fernandes's free-kick delivery. However, replays showed the England international was in an offside position, along with several of his teammates. The absence of VAR technology, which is not implemented in the early rounds of the FA Cup due to technical limitations at lower-tier clubs, meant the controversial goal stood.
The decision sparked immediate outrage on social media. One X user, @PoorEPLreferees, questioned the linesman's failure to flag the offense, noting that "FOUR United players" were in offside positions. Another fan, @JackWhitman_7, criticized the decision that led to the free-kick itself, suggesting the referee was "influenced" by the crowd. The controversy deepened with @LFC_Lucas_ calling it "pure corruption," while Manchester City supporter @Priceless_MCI drew parallels to the Sir Alex Ferguson era, claiming "This is how Fergie won all his trophies."
Leicester's manager and former United interim coach Ruud van Nistelrooy expressed his frustration in the post-match interview, stating, "This wasn't about being beaten in Fergie time, it was about being beaten in offside time. VAR wasn't necessary. That deals with centimetres and inches; this was half a metre. He was clear in line."
While the FA Cup will implement VAR technology from the fifth round onwards, this incident has highlighted the disparities in officiating standards across different stages of the competition. The lack of video assistance in earlier rounds, necessitated by the technical limitations of lower-tier clubs and the need for additional officials, has once again become a subject of debate following this controversial finish.
