Manchester City’s controversial winner in the Manchester derby has been officially labelled an error by the Professional Game Referees body.
The decision to allow Erling Haaland’s strike has sparked a massive debate over the application of the offside rule and the role of VAR in high-stakes matches.
In a stunning post-match development, the Professional Game Referees body has officially acknowledged that Haaland’s winning goal for Manchester City against Manchester United should not have stood.
The 60th-minute strike at Old Trafford proved to be the decisive moment in a heated derby, but officials now concede that the VAR process failed to correctly interpret the impact of an offside player.
The admission comes after intense scrutiny from fans and pundits alike, who questioned how the goal was allowed to stand despite clear interference from City midfielder Enzo Fernandez.
A spokesperson for English football’s refereeing body said following the match on Sunday that the VAR “did not recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review” and a subsequent investigation will take place.
The refereeing body issued a full statement clarifying the situation, noting that Pro Ref acknowledge an error of judgement regarding the awarded goal.
The official statement read: “Following the incident in the 60th minute of Sunday’s Premier League fixture between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford, we can provide clarification regarding Haaland’s awarded goal.
“The on-field decision was offside against Haaland – that was checked by VAR and he was found to be in an onside position.”
The statement explained: “In the same attack, it was established that Enzo Fernandez did not play the ball and therefore that makes any offside offence subjective, however, on this occasion, the VAR did not recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review.
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“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.”
Manchester United coach Michael Carrick was left bewildered by the decision-making process at Old Trafford, particularly given the amount of technology and personnel involved in modern refereeing.
Carrick’s frustration was palpable after the final whistle, as he questioned the logic behind allowing Fernandez’s movement to go unpunished.
The United coach did not hold back when asked about the possibility of receiving an apology from Howard Webb and the officiating team.
Discussing the incident, Carrick sarcastically said he can’t wait for an apology from the referees’ chief. He expanded on his frustration by saying: “The explanation I got was he wasn’t interfering with play. So I just don’t get it. I really don’t get it.”
