Pro Ref admits VAR error over Erling Haaland's Manchester City winner at Manchester United
Refereeing body Pro Ref has admitted an error in awarding Erling Haaland's winner for Manchester City in their 1-0 victory at Old Trafford against Manchester United. The goal was initially disallowed for offside before VAR overturned the decision. Pro Ref has since acknowledged the goal should have remained disallowed.
- Fixture: Manchester United 0-1 Manchester City, Premier League, Old Trafford
- Incident: 60th minute — Haaland goal initially offside, overturned by VAR, Enzo Fernandez offside position missed
- Admission: Pro Ref says VAR should have recommended an on-field review; contact made with Man Utd to acknowledge the error
- Key quote: "The VAR did not recognise the likely impact of his position"
- Pundit reaction: Micah Richards calls award "a nonsense"; Roy Keane says Fernandez was interfering with play
What was said
"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 Erling Haaland's awarded goal."
"The on-field decision was offside against Erling Haaland - that was checked by VAR and he was found to be in an onside position."
"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."
"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."
"VAR checked the referee's call of no goal for offside - and determined that Haaland was in an onside position and recommended that the goal was awarded. The VAR also deemed that while in an offside position, Fernandez didn't play the ball."
"One hundred per cent he is. I think it's been a bad day for referees and VAR. They got the Phil Foden decision wrong, and they got this decision wrong."
"How you can not say Enzo Fernandez is challenging for the ball - of course he is! I've been in that position as a defender where any slight movement can make the difference for going for the ball or not, so of course it affects him. I just think they've got it so wrong."
"Fernandez is interfering with play. Basically, United have been punished for holding a good line. When you are in that position, you are impacting the game. You're in the middle of the box, you're going for the ball."
"Their line is good. Fernandez is offside, and he goes to play the ball, so United are getting punished for good defending."
The interpretation of offside law is at the centre of this controversy. Pro Ref's admission confirms that Fernandez's position, even without touching the ball, was sufficient to warrant a subjective offside offence. The VAR's focus on whether Fernandez played the ball was misplaced, as the law allows for offside when a player clearly attempts to play a ball close to them and impacts an opponent. This is precisely what Richards and Keane argued.
The admission adds pressure on VAR protocols, particularly for subjective offside decisions. Pro Ref's decision to contact Manchester United directly is rare and signals the severity of the error. The review will likely examine how VAR officials assessed the impact of Fernandez's movement on Lisandro Martinez, which was not fully recognised in real time.
The numbers
- 1-0 — final score, Manchester City win
- 60th minute — time of the incident
- 1 — goal awarded to Erling Haaland
- 0 — goals for Manchester United
Why Pro Ref's admission changes the title race
Manchester City leave Old Trafford with three points that Pro Ref now accepts should not have been theirs. In a title race decided by inches, that is a significant moment. The admission does not change the result, but it shifts the narrative around City's win and intensifies scrutiny on VAR. For Manchester United, the frustration is compounded: they defended well, held a disciplined line, and were undone by a decision that even the refereeing body now concedes was wrong.
The tactical detail matters. Lisandro Martinez was impacted by Enzo Fernandez's movement, according to Pro Ref's own statement. That is the crux. If a defender's ability to play the ball is affected by an offside player's action, the offence is subjective and should have triggered an on-field review. The VAR missed that. When the technology fails on subjective judgements, the fallback is the referee's monitor — which was never used.
This will not be the last we hear of it. Pro Ref's review will look at how VARs are trained to assess interference. Micah Richards and Roy Keane were united in their criticism, and their analysis aligns with the laws. The bigger question is whether this prompts a change in how VAR communicates offside decisions in real time. The Match Centre post stressed Fernandez did not play the ball — a detail that, while true, was not the relevant test.
Talking points
- Pro Ref has admitted an error, but the result stands. Should Manchester United receive any form of compensation, or is an apology sufficient?
- VAR focused on whether Fernandez touched the ball, but the law allows offside for attempting to play it. Is this a training failure or a communication blunder?
- Micah Richards and Roy Keane agree it was wrong. Does pundit consensus put more pressure on referees than official admissions?
- If a subjective offside impacts a defender, why did VAR not recommend an on-field review? The protocol exists — it simply wasn't used.
What happens next
Pro Ref has confirmed a review of the incident will take place and contact has been made with Manchester United to acknowledge the error. The outcome of that review is not yet known. Manchester City keep the three points and the 1-0 win, while United must regroup for their next Premier League fixture. The wider impact will be felt in future VAR training and the ongoing debate over subjective offside calls.
Frequently asked questions
Why was Erling Haaland's goal at Manchester United allowed to stand?
VAR overturned the on-field offside decision after deeming Haaland was played onside by Manchester United defender Patrick Dorgu. However, Pro Ref has since admitted the VAR should have considered Enzo Fernandez's offside position and recommended an on-field review.
Did Enzo Fernandez touch the ball before Haaland scored?
No, Fernandez did not play the ball, according to both the Premier League Match Centre and Pro Ref. But Pro Ref has admitted that his movement in an offside position likely impacted Lisandro Martinez, which should have led to the goal being disallowed.
What did Pro Ref say about the Haaland goal decision?
A Pro Ref spokesperson said the VAR "did not recognise the likely impact" of Fernandez's position and should have recommended an on-field review. They also confirmed contact has been made with Manchester United to acknowledge an error of judgement, with a review to follow.
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