Why Neal Maupay’s goal for Brentford vs Man City wasn’t disallowed despite offside suggestion

Brentford took a shock lead against Manchester City in their Monday Night Football clash as Neal Maupay latched onto a goal-kick before slotting past Ederson.

Replays and screen grabs of the incident raised suspicions of offside, which City’s players also raised with the officials, but the goal was allowed to stand, to the confusion of many.

When Mark Flekken took a goal-kick for the home side, Ivan Toney was positioned beyond City’s last defender and as the ball came down, competed with Nathan Ake for the ball.

Mystery solved

However, Toney did not touch the ball and it travelled straight on through to Maupay, who applied a neat finish.

Rules state a player can not be offside from a goal-kick, so although Toney did prevent Ake from intercepting the ball by using his strength, there was in fact no offence from the Brentford striker.

Had Toney got a touch to the ball, the goal would have been disallowed as Maupay was in an offside position when the ball went past Toney’s head.

City were level by half-time as Phil Foden equalised from close range after a Kevin De Bruyne cross was only partially cleared by the Brentford defence.