The Premier League’s refereeing body, Pro Ref, has contacted Manchester United to acknowledge an “error of judgment” regarding the winning goal in Sunday’s Manchester derby.
The decision to award Erling Haaland’s 60th-minute strike, which secured a 1-0 victory for 10-man Manchester City at Old Trafford on 13 September, has been officially identified as a failure of the VAR process.
While Haaland himself was in an onside position when the ball was played, his teammate Enzo Fernandez was standing in an offside position. Fernandez attempted a diving header as the cross came in, and refereeing officials have now admitted his actions impacted United defender Lisandro Martinez.
Under the laws of the game, a player can be penalised for offside if they are “interfering with an opponent” by making an obvious action which clearly impacts the ability of an opponent to play the ball.
The goal was initially ruled out by the on-field officials but was subsequently overturned by VAR. However, Pro Ref—the organisation formerly known as the PGMOL—confirmed that the VAR should have recommended an on-field review. This would have allowed the referee to view the pitchside monitor and assess the subjective nature of Fernandez’s interference.
According to official reports from Pro Ref, a full review of the incident is now underway.
The controversy overshadows what was a resilient performance from Manchester City, who played the majority of the Manchester derby with 10 men. Phil Foden was sent off in the 23rd minute after kicking out at United captain Bruno Fernandes, forcing the visitors into a tactical shift for more than an hour of play.
Despite the man disadvantage, City’s victory maintains their perfect start to the season. They currently sit joint top of the Premier League table with 12 points from four matches.
In contrast, the result leaves Manchester United in 13th place with just four points. The admission of the officiating error is likely to frustrate the United camp, as the goal proved to be the only breakthrough in a tightly contested match where the defensive impact of Martinez was central to the home side’s game plan.
The Premier League Match Centre clarified that while the technology correctly identified Haaland as onside, the failure occurred in the subjective assessment of Fernandez’s interference with the defending players.
