English football’s officiating body, Pro Ref (formerly known as PGMOL), has formally admitted that awarding Erling Haaland’s winning goal for Manchester City against Manchester United was an error. The contentious decision allowed a 10-man Manchester City side to secure a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford on Sunday, sparking widespread debate across the Premier League.
The incident unfolded during the 60th minute of a fiercely contested Manchester derby. City defender Joško Gvardiol delivered a cross from the left flank, which deflected off a nearby defender before reaching the penalty area. Haaland duly dispatched the ball past United goalkeeper Senne Lammens to break the deadlock. Although the linesman initially flagged Haaland for offside, a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review confirmed that the Norwegian striker was in an onside position when the ball was played, leading referee Michael Oliver to overturn the initial call and award the goal.
Controversy emerged not from Haaland’s position, but from the actions of his teammate, Enzo Fernández. At the moment of Gvardiol’s cross, Fernández was standing in an offside position and actively moved towards the ball in an attempt to header it past Lammens. Although Fernández failed to make contact with the ball, his movement directly influenced the phase of play. United defender Lisandro Martínez was tracking Fernández closely, contending that his positioning and movement altered the defensive line’s response. Under standard officiating guidelines, an offside player who actively interferes with play or impacts an opponent’s ability to defend should be penalised.
Pro Ref acknowledged that the VAR team committed an error of judgement by failing to recognise Fernández’s subjective impact on the phase of play. Consequently, the video officials neglected to advise Michael Oliver to conduct an on-field review at the pitchside monitor.
In a official statement released hours after the final whistle, a Pro Ref spokesperson confirmed that the organisation had reached out to Manchester United to apologize directly. The governing body conceded that the decision was a clear oversight and announced that a full internal review into the communication and decision-making process during the match will take place. While the apology offers some clarity, the result stands, leaving Manchester City with all three points and reigniting the debate surrounding VAR consistency in English football.
