VAR at fault for allowing Haaland goal against Man Utd, admits referee group

The refereeing body Pro Ref has admitted an error after VAR awarded Manchester City their winning goal during Sunday’s Manchester derby, confirming that a review of the incident will take place and that the goal should have been referred for an on-field check.

Erling Haaland’s goal — which handed Manchester City a 1-0 victory over their city rivals — was initially deemed offside on the pitch before VAR overruled the decision and awarded the goal. The decision has since drawn criticism from Manchester United’s coaching staff and former players, with United coach Michael Carrick describing it as worrying.

The goal and the VAR intervention

Sunday’s Manchester derby saw City’s Phil Foden sent off in the 23rd minute after kicking midfielder Bruno Fernandes, leaving United to play with a man advantage for the majority of the match. Despite that, Haaland’s goal proved decisive, securing a 1-0 win for City.

The goal was initially flagged as offside on the field. Enzo Fernandez was in an offside position as he attempted to play the ball before Haaland scored. He appeared to impact the defending of United’s Lisandro Martinez by attempting a diving header, despite not touching the ball.

VAR intervened and overruled the on-field decision, awarding the goal to City. The reversal prompted immediate reaction from United’s camp.

Pro Ref’s admission

Pro Ref issued an unusual statement confirming that a review of the goal would take place and that the body recognised an error of judgement had occurred. The statement said it had been established that Enzo Fernandez did not play the ball and therefore any offside offence was 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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Pro Ref confirmed it had made contact with Manchester United to acknowledge what it deemed an error of judgement, and that a review of the incident would take place.

Manchester United’s reaction

United coach Michael Carrick said it was worrying that the goal was allowed to stand. He questioned how so many layers of oversight — so many people, bodies, screens and offices — could still produce a decision that he struggled to understand. He said there were no grey areas when it came to determining whether Fernandez had interfered with play, and expressed concern about how the game was being seen by those officiating it.

Carrick noted that Fernandez had thrown himself at the ball six yards from goal and had nearly touched it, making the decision to allow the goal difficult to justify under the rules as he understood them.

Haaland’s response

Haaland jokingly told Sky Sports that he had taken it a bit personally that referee Michael Oliver had thought he was offside, during a post-match interview. He said he had looked over at Enzo Fernandez, received a thumbs-up from the gaffer, and kind of knew that it was a goal, so he had prepared himself a bit to go and celebrate.

The broader context

The result left Manchester United with just four points from their opening four Premier League games. United were playing with a man advantage after Foden’s red card, but the disallowed-then-awarded goal proved the difference. Former United defender Gary Neville also expressed confusion at the decision, saying he would need the offside law explained to him and that he believed those involved would recognise they had got it wrong when they looked back on it. He said Michael Oliver would be nervous about the goal, as would all the officials.

Why it matters

VAR decisions have been among the most controversial aspects of modern football officiating, with fans, players and coaches regularly questioning the interpretation of offside and interference rules. A refereeing body openly admitting an error of judgement — and contacting the affected club directly — is relatively unusual and signals that the ruling was considered significant enough to warrant a formal acknowledgment. The admission is likely to fuel ongoing debate about the consistency and clarity of VAR’s application of the offside law, particularly in high-stakes matches.

What happens next

Pro Ref has confirmed that a review of the incident will take place. The outcome of that review could lead to changes in how VAR officials interpret offside interference in future matches, though any formal rule change would require broader approval. Manchester United will be keen to understand whether any retrospective action is possible, though goals stands once awarded are rarely overturned after the match.

Source: Sky News