Erling Haaland scored a brace to help Man City produce one of the comfortable football results of the weekend in the Premier League. In a ferocious first half that saw Man City have three penalty appeals – one fewer than the shots, they registered in the opening period – in a busy 45 minutes for VAR, Haaland scored his 16th and 17th league goals of the season.
Just minutes before Haaland put Man City ahead, VAR ruled that Robert Sanchez’s trip on the striker did not have significant contact (22). Ederson’s spectacular goal kick revealed the Norwegian’s up-front run, and he comfortably maneuvered around the approaching Sanchez, pushing Adam Webster aside, and tapping home into an empty net. Although VAR looked for a foul in the goal, Haaland was simply too powerful for the Brighton defense. At the half-hour, Jack Grealish’s penalty appeal was also denied. The winger was knocked down to the left of the area by Joel Veltman, who also sent him tumbling off the field while holding his ankle but VAR did not award the penalty kick.
City was finally given a penalty, but it happened under questionable circumstances. Lewis Dunk trip-tripped Bernardo Silva and play resumed as VAR reviewed the situation. After the incident, the play was delayed so that referee Craig Pawson could check the pitchside monitor and eventually point to the location. There were significant doubts as to whether the City midfielder’s trailing leg caused the foul, which infuriated the Brighton camp, especially Dunk and Gross who had previously elbowed Silva in the back. Despite the protestations, the penalty was upheld, and Haaland, who scored his second Premier League double of the season, shot into the bottom right corner.
Leandro Trossard blasted home after some great link-up play with Solly March down the left wing to give the Seagulls their first win in three games. Since Trossard’s hat trick against Liverpool at the beginning of October, Brighton hadn’t scored a goal.
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