Dermot Gallagher, a former Premier League referee, stated that Bernardo Silva’s involvement before John Stones’ header against Wolverhampton Wanderers does not change the fact that the goal should have stood.
After the game, many Wolves fans were frustrated, arguing that Bernardo interfered with play while being in an offside position, leading to Stones’ winning goal for Manchester City.
Initially, the assistant referee flagged for offside, but VAR reviewed the play and determined that Silva did not obstruct Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa’s view.
Wolves supporters claimed that, although Silva might not have blocked Sa’s view, his presence created enough disruption for the goalkeeper that the goal should have been disallowed. However, Gallagher explained on *Ref Watch* that this argument was a “red herring.”
Gallagher clarified, “Silva is offside, but since it’s a corner, offside doesn’t apply here. That’s not the issue. When Stones makes contact with the ball, Silva is already moving away from the goalkeeper, so he isn’t blocking his line of sight or hindering his ability to play the ball. The graphic also shows that Silva wasn’t affecting Sa’s ability to stop the goal.”
Gallagher also pointed out that Silva and Sa’s physical interaction happened before the corner kick, meaning Silva couldn’t be offside at that moment.
As long as Stones made contact with the ball first, Silva wasn’t in an offside position when the goal was scored.
This late win could prove crucial as the season progresses, especially with Arsenal’s recent loss and Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea.
City now sits just one point behind Liverpool heading into their match against Southampton next weekend.
