Manchester United midfielder Youri Tielemans has urged his team not to blame the offside controversy involving Erling Haaland for their lackluster performance in Sunday’s Manchester derby, which ended in a 1-0 defeat to Manchester City.

The match, played at Old Trafford, saw City reduced to 10 men following the first-half red card of Phil Foden for an altercation with Bruno Fernandes. Despite the numerical advantage, United failed to capitalize, with Haaland’s disputed winning goal securing the victory for City. The goal was initially ruled offside but later allowed following a decision that drew criticism. Pro Ref, the professional refereeing organization, acknowledged an “error in judgment” for overturning the offside call without sending referee Michael Oliver for an on-field review, citing interference by United’s Enzo Fernandez.

While Manchester United has voiced clear frustration over the officiating, Tielemans emphasized that the team’s shortcomings went beyond that incident. “It’s disappointing, so everyone is disappointed and frustrated because we know we can play so much better,” the Belgian midfielder said. He highlighted missed opportunities for United, including Marcus Rashford hitting the crossbar from a free kick and Kobbie Mainoo striking the post, but stressed that poor execution and decision-making in the final third prevented the team from taking advantage of their numerical superiority.

“We didn’t use it,” Tielemans said of playing against 10 men. “We didn’t use the right spaces, we made mistakes in our passes, maybe rushed it a little bit too much. We didn’t make the right last passes in the final third to create enough chances to score, so, yeah, it was tough.”

The defeat leaves United with just four points from their first four Premier League games, following earlier results that include a heavy loss to Hull City and a draw at Everton. The Premier League campaign continues on Sunday with an away fixture at Fulham, immediately preceding a three-week international break.

Ahead of that, Manchester United faces Brighton in the Carabao Cup third round at Old Trafford on Tuesday, a match Tielemans identifies as a key opportunity to reverse their recent fortunes. “The process is trying to get our heads together and react in the next game,” he said. “That’s the only thing that we can do, that we can control. Analyse this game, what didn’t happen, do better in the next one.”