Premier League refereeing body Pro Ref has admitted that VAR made an “error of judgment” in allowing Erling Haaland’s winning goal during Manchester City’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford. Haaland scored in the 60th minute to settle Sunday’s Manchester derby, but the goal became the subject of controversy after it was initially ruled out for offside before VAR overturned the decision. Pro Ref later acknowledged that VAR should have considered the involvement of Manchester City midfielder Enzo Fernández, who was in an offside position during the move and attempted to play the ball. Although Fernández did not make contact with the ball, Pro Ref said VAR failed to recognise his likely impact on the play and should have recommended that referee Michael Oliver review the incident on the pitchside monitor.

The incident began when Joško Gvardiol’s cross reached Haaland, who finished at the far post. The assistant referee initially flagged Haaland for offside. A subsequent VAR review determined that Haaland himself was in an onside position, with United defender Patrick Dorgu keeping him in play. VAR also considered Fernández’s position but concluded at the time that the City midfielder had not played the ball and therefore had not interfered with play. That decision allowed the goal to stand and gave City the lead. Pro Ref’s subsequent review reached a different conclusion, saying Fernández’s position and attempted involvement should have been considered more carefully.

Following its review, Pro Ref contacted Manchester United to acknowledge the mistake. The refereeing body said the incident would be reviewed, but the admission does not change the result of the match. Manchester City retain the 1-0 victory and three points from the derby. The decision has renewed scrutiny of how VAR handles subjective offside decisions, particularly where a player does not touch the ball but may still affect an opponent’s ability to play it.  Manchester United manager Michael Carrick had expressed frustration with the decision immediately after the match. United players also argued that Fernández’s position affected defender Lisandro Martínez during the attempt to defend the cross. The subsequent admission from Pro Ref effectively confirmed that the incident warranted greater scrutiny, although it came after the match had already ended.

The controversial goal proved decisive as City secured a 1-0 win despite playing with 10 men for a significant portion of the match. The result remains unchanged despite the refereeing body’s admission. For Manchester United, the incident adds to the frustration of a derby defeat in which the decisive moment was later acknowledged as an officiating error. For Pro Ref, the case is another reminder of the difficulty of applying the offside law when a player in an offside position does not touch the ball but may nevertheless influence an opponent or the outcome of the play.