During Manchester United's 2-0 win over Manchester City, referee Anthony Taylor showed Diogo Dalot a yellow card for a late, high challenge on Jérémy Doku. VAR Craig Pawson reviewed the incident but upheld the on-field decision, calling the contact reckless rather than dangerous.

The debate hinges on whether the challenge met the threshold for serious foul play. A derby's early minutes often influence such calls, with officials wary of drastically altering the match's balance so soon. The Premier League's VAR protocol requires clear and obvious error to overturn a referee's decision.

Former referee Andy Davies argues the nature of the tackle was dangerous and unnecessarily endangered Doku. He believes a red card would have been justified, though he understands Pawson's reluctance to intervene early in a high-stakes match. The incident will fuel ongoing discussions about VAR's consistency.