FP
Fakayejo Paul
English refereeing body Pro Ref has officially contacted Manchester United to acknowledge an “error of judgement” regarding Erling Haaland’s 60th-minute winning goal for Manchester City at Old Trafford.
The goal proved decisive in Manchester City’s 1-0 derby victory, but the officials conceded that the VAR team failed to correctly evaluate the offside rule regarding off-the-ball interference.
Read Also: Premier League Summer 2026 Transfer Window: Top 10 Highest-Fee Arrivals
Incident Breakdown & Official Statement
- The On-Field Call: The linesman initially flagged the attack for offside.
- The VAR Review:While Haaland was verified to be in an onside position when Joško Gvardiol sent in the cross, midfielder Enzo Fernández was standing in an offside position.
- The Subjective Error:Although Fernández did not touch the ball, his movement directly impacted defender Lisandro Martínez, who was marking him in the box.Pro Ref stated the VAR should have recognized this impact and recommended referee Michael Oliver perform an on-field review at the pitchside monitor.
- Reactions:Manchester United manager Michael Carrick called the decision “worrying” post-match, while Lisandro Martínez labeled the awarded goal an “injustice”.
Pro Ref confirmed a full internal review of the incident is currently underway.