Referee Chris Kavanagh chose not to overturn John Stones’ late goal against Wolves, despite being called for an on-field review by VAR.
Stones, who appeared to have secured a dramatic win for City in stoppage time, had initially headed the ball into the net before realizing it had been disallowed.
After celebrating with fans, Stones saw that the goal was under VAR review.
VAR official Stuart Atwell recommended Kavanagh review the pitchside monitor, as the goal had been disallowed due to Bernardo Silva’s proximity to Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa when the header was made.
Typically, when referees check the monitor, it leads to a reversal of the original decision. Kavanagh awarded the goal, igniting jubilant celebrations for City.
The Premier League Match Centre explained the decision on X (formerly Twitter), stating that the goal was disallowed initially because Silva was in an offside position, potentially obstructing the goalkeeper’s view.
However, VAR determined that Silva wasn’t obstructing Sa’s vision and had no impact on the play, prompting the on-field review.
Although Silva was offside and ducked as Stones headed the ball, he was positioned slightly to the side of Sa and not directly in front of him.
This goal was Stones’ second late contribution to City’s success, following his equalizer against Arsenal the previous month. The result pushed City back to the top of the Premier League, pending Liverpool’s game against Chelsea.
City came from behind once again, after Jorgen Strand Larsen gave Wolves an early lead. Josko Gvardiol equalized with a powerful strike before Stones sealed the win, despite several brilliant saves from Sa.
