Manchester City’s controversial 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford has been thrown into fresh turmoil after refereeing body Pro Ref admitted that the match-winning goal by Erling Haaland should have been subjected to an on-field VAR review.
The admission, made just hours after Sunday’s Premier League clash, has reignited controversy over the decision to overturn the original offside call and award City the decisive goal.
Haaland’s 60th-minute strike was initially ruled out for offside by the on-field officials before VAR intervened and determined that the Norwegian striker had been played onside by Manchester United defender Patrick Dorgu.
However, Pro Ref acknowledged that the VAR team failed to properly consider the involvement of City midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who was in an offside position and appeared to interfere with United’s defensive play as the attack developed.
VAR Error Admitted After Old Trafford Drama
Although Fernandez did not touch the ball, his movement appeared to affect United defender Lisandro Martinez before Haaland eventually finished at the back post.
Under the laws of the game, that potential interference could constitute an offside offence, meaning the original decision to disallow the goal could have stood.
In a statement issued after the match, a Pro Ref spokesperson said the initial offside decision against Haaland was correctly checked, with VAR determining that the striker himself was in an onside position.
“The on-field decision was offside against Erling Haaland – that was checked by VAR and he was found to be in an onside position,” Pro Ref said.
The refereeing body, however, admitted that the wider attacking sequence was not properly assessed.
“In the same attack, it was established that Enzo Fernandez did not play the ball and therefore that makes any offside offence subjective,” the statement said.
“However, on this occasion, the VAR did not recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review.”
Manchester United Contacted
Pro Ref said it had already contacted Manchester United to acknowledge what it described as an “error of judgement”, while promising a full review of the incident.
“Contact has been made with Manchester United this evening to acknowledge what we deem is an error of judgement. A review of the incident will take place,” the refereeing body said.
The admission is likely to intensify debate over VAR consistency and the threshold for intervention, particularly when an attacking player who does not touch the ball may nevertheless influence defenders during an offside passage of play.
For United, the admission comes as little consolation after City left Old Trafford with all three points, but it provides official confirmation that the decisive goal was surrounded by a refereeing error that should have prompted further scrutiny.
