VAR clears the air as Barry’s ‘offside’ leveller leaves City wobbling

Confusion? Cleared. Controversy? Put to bed. The Premier League has explained exactly why Thierno Barry’s equaliser for Everton against Manchester City was allowed to stand, despite first-glance optics screaming offside. On a night when the Toffees rattled the champions and the Etihad nerves, City coughed up ground in the title chase and handed the momentum to Arsenal.

Why the flag stayed down

Here’s the crux. The league’s official match centre posted on X that the on-field decision to award the goal was checked and upheld by VAR because the defender, Marc Guehi, made a deliberate play on the ball. That’s the vital clause. When a defender has control and chooses to play it — even if he shanks it — the offside phase is reset. Barry, initially beyond the line, is no longer active once that deliberate touch is made, so when the chance falls his way, he’s good to finish.

In short: a defender’s deliberate touch resets offside. No interference, no second-guessing — just the Laws of the Game applied correctly.

VAR view backs the ref

The refereeing team — led by Michael Oliver — got it spot on. Independent VAR analysis highlighted that Guehi was under no real pressure from Barry when he misplayed the pass, meaning the offside attacker wasn’t impacting the defender’s action. That’s why the goal stood, and rightly so.

Everton’s surge and City’s stumble

Everton had been knocking for a while, and Barry made the breakthrough before adding another to really turn the screw. City, rattled and chasing, eventually clawed back through Erling Haaland and Jeremy Doku to pinch a point — but that’s not the win Pep Guardiola’s men needed. The upshot? Arsenal have the reins again in this title race, with City left ruing a self-inflicted wobble.

A worrying moment on the night

Amid the drama, there was a sobering sight as teenager Jesse Derry was stretchered off. Everyone in the ground — blue or sky blue — will hope for swift and positive news.

The bigger picture — and where this leaves the title

Make no mistake, this wasn’t about VAR inventing something new; it was the textbook interpretation of offside after a defender’s deliberate touch. Everton’s aggression forced errors; City’s response was late but not lethal enough. With the clock ticking down on the run-in, the champions have precious little margin left.

If you’re weighing up where the momentum sits after this one, you’re not alone — it’s exactly the sort of twist that sharpens the value of a form guide on the best betting sites. But the cold reality for City is simple: drop more points and the crown likely changes hands.

Bottom line: the call was correct, the law was clear, and the title pendulum has swung towards North London.