Pro Ref has admitted that VAR made an error of judgement in allowing Erling Haaland’s controversial winning goal during Manchester City’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
The admission has reignited the debate surrounding the use of VAR in the Premier League, with Manchester United left frustrated after a decision that ultimately proved decisive in the Manchester derby.
Haaland scored in the 60th minute to give Manchester City the lead after Joško Gvardiol’s cross was deflected into the danger area. The Norwegian striker reacted quickly at the far post to finish the move and put City ahead.
However, the goal was immediately surrounded by controversy. The assistant referee had initially flagged for offside against Haaland, prompting a VAR review. After checking the incident, VAR determined that Haaland himself was in an onside position and the original decision was overturned.
The controversy, however, did not end there.
During the same attacking move, Manchester City midfielder Enzo Fernández was in an offside position and attempted to play the ball. Although Fernández did not actually make contact with it, his position raised questions over whether he had interfered with Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez and influenced the defensive action.
Pro Ref, the refereeing body responsible for overseeing elite match officials, has now acknowledged that VAR failed to properly consider Fernández’s potential impact on the play.
In its clarification, Pro Ref stated that the on-field decision had initially been offside against Haaland and that VAR correctly established that the City striker was in an onside position. However, because Fernández did not touch the ball, the question of whether he committed an offside offence became a subjective matter.
According to Pro Ref, VAR should have recognised the likely impact of Fernández’s position and recommended that referee Michael Oliver conduct an on-field review.
The refereeing body has since contacted Manchester United to acknowledge what it described as an “error of judgement” and confirmed that the incident will be reviewed.
The admission is unlikely to provide much comfort to United, who had already expressed strong frustration over the decision immediately after the match. Manager Michael Carrick questioned the interpretation of the incident and was visibly unhappy that the goal had been allowed to stand.
The timing of the decision made the controversy even more significant because Manchester City had been reduced to 10 men before half-time following Phil Foden’s dismissal.
Foden was shown a straight red card after an incident involving United captain Bruno Fernandes, leaving City to play the majority of the match with a numerical disadvantage.
United were unable to take advantage of the situation, however, and City remained disciplined after going ahead.
The visitors had chances to extend their lead, while United also came close to an equaliser. Marcus Rashford struck the post with a free-kick before the break, while Kobbie Mainoo also hit the woodwork after half-time. City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was eventually required to make an important late save to deny Bryan Mbeumo as United pushed for an equaliser.
Despite the controversy surrounding Haaland’s goal, the official result remains Manchester United 0-1 Manchester City. There has been no decision to replay the match or change the result.
For Manchester City, the victory maintained their perfect start to the Premier League campaign, while United were left to reflect on another difficult afternoon at Old Trafford.
The controversy has now shifted from whether Haaland was offside to the more complicated question of whether Fernández’s offside position affected the play. Pro Ref’s admission means the officials have acknowledged that the VAR process should have been handled differently.
For Manchester United, however, the consequences remain unchanged. The goal stood, City collected all three points and the derby ended in defeat for Carrick’s side.
The incident is expected to remain a major talking point as the Premier League and its refereeing officials review the decision and consider how similar subjective offside situations should be handled in future matches.
