A confirmed VAR error has reignited debate over Premier League officiating after Manchester City’s 1–0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford. Pro Ref, English football’s refereeing body formerly known as PGMOL, acknowledged that Erling Haaland’s decisive goal should not have been awarded because VAR failed to properly assess Enzo Fernández’s impact while in an offside position.
Haaland turned in Joško Gvardiol’s cross in the 60th minute, but the assistant referee initially ruled the goal out for offside. VAR subsequently established that Haaland himself was onside, having been played onside by Patrick Dorgu’s outstretched foot, and recommended that the goal be given.
The error concerned Fernández, not Haaland. The Manchester City midfielder was in an offside position and lunged toward the cross as it travelled into the goalmouth. Although he did not touch the ball, Pro Ref concluded that VAR did not recognise the likely effect of his movement on Manchester United’s defenders and goalkeeper. The video officials should have advised referee Michael Oliver to conduct an on-field review of the subjective question of whether Fernández interfered with play.
Pro Ref contacted Manchester United to acknowledge what it described as an “error of judgement” and said the incident would be reviewed. The body’s chief refereeing officer, Howard Webb, later said the VAR team had developed “tunnel vision” by concentrating on the initial offside decision involving Haaland and failing to give sufficient consideration to Fernández’s involvement.
The decision was particularly consequential because Haaland’s goal proved to be the winner. City played much of the match with 10 men after Phil Foden was sent off, yet left Old Trafford with all three points. Haaland’s strike also made him the outright leading scorer in Premier League Manchester derbies, with nine goals.
Pro Ref’s admission does not change the official result: Manchester City’s win stands. But it has intensified concerns about how VAR handles situations involving subjective offside interference, especially when a player does not touch the ball but may still affect an opponent’s ability to react or challenge.
The two officials involved in the video review, lead VAR Matt Donohue and assistant VAR Blake Antrobus, were stood down from Premier League duties for the following round of fixtures. That step reflects the seriousness with which Pro Ref viewed the failure, although it does not resolve the underlying question of how consistently VAR should intervene in complex offside decisions.
There is no credible basis in the available evidence to connect this specific incident to Arsenal’s place at the top of the table or to claim that VAR has tilted outcomes in Arsenal’s favour. The confirmed error relates directly to the Manchester derby, and it should be reported as such rather than folded into a wider allegation about the title race without match-specific evidence.
