Omar Marmoush was wrongly denied a first-half goal in Manchester City’s FA Cup victory over Salford City, according to former referees’ chief Keith Hackett.
The Egyptian forward thought he had given City an early advantage when he sprinted on to a lofted through-ball and calmly slotted home.
However, his celebrations were cut short as the assistant referee’s flag had already gone up for offside, with referee Matthew Donohue stopping play before the ball crossed the line.
Replays appeared to show that Marmoush had timed his run to perfection. Salford defender Luke Garbutt seemed to have stepped behind the defensive line at a crucial moment, potentially playing the City attacker onside.
Despite that, the decision stood, and without the assistance of the Video Assistant Referee, the goal could not be reviewed.
VAR is not used in FA Cup ties until the fifth round, and even then semi-automated offside technology is introduced only at matches staged in Premier League stadiums.
As this fourth-round encounter did not fall under those criteria, City had no opportunity for the decision to be re-examined in real time.
Hackett, who previously headed the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) and has officiated at FIFA level, believes the call was incorrect and underlines the value of technology in the modern game.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, he said: “The assistant referee is well-positioned in line with the second rearmost defender.
“However, when you look at the screenshot, the defender close to the assistant appears to be playing the attacker onside, and I would not expect an offside flag to be raised.
“The goal should have been allowed. It highlights why we have VAR on offside calls in the Premier League.”
City eventually secured a 2-0 victory to move into the fifth round, but the disallowed effort shaped the tone of the first half.
Pep Guardiola’s side dominated possession and territory, yet found it difficult to translate that control into a comfortable scoreline before the break.
Marmoush’s movement had caused problems for the League Two outfit throughout the opening exchanges.
His sharp acceleration and intelligent positioning were on full display for the disallowed strike, as he latched on to Abdukodir Khusanov’s precise long pass in the 23rd minute before applying a composed finish beyond goalkeeper Matthew Young.
Without VAR, match officials must rely solely on their split-second judgement. In this instance, Hackett believes the benefit of doubt should have been given to the attacker.
There was further debate midway through the first half when John Stones went to ground inside the Salford penalty area.
The defender was attempting to meet a deep corner delivered by Rayan Cherki when he appeared to be pulled down by Salford midfielder Josh Austerfield. City players immediately appealed, but Donohue waved away the claims.
Unlike the offside decision, Hackett sided with the match official on this occasion. After reviewing the footage, he felt there was insufficient evidence to justify awarding a spot-kick.
He said: “John Stones is looking to gain the award of a penalty kick and goes to ground a little too easily.
“I support the match official in not awarding a penalty kick because of the element of doubt.”
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The incident highlighted the fine balance referees must strike between penalising genuine fouls and resisting attempts to exaggerate minimal contact.
In cup competitions without VAR at earlier stages, those judgements carry even greater weight, as there is no technological safety net.
Despite their dominance, City were made to work harder than expected. Salford defended resolutely and looked to frustrate their illustrious visitors, who enjoyed long spells of possession but initially lacked cutting edge.
Had Marmoush’s goal stood, the contest might have unfolded differently. An early breakthrough would likely have stretched the hosts and allowed City to dictate the tempo with greater freedom.
Instead, the disallowed strike kept the score level and gave Salford renewed belief.
