Get this: the Premier League refereeing body, Pro Ref, just came out and said they made an “error of judgement” awarding Erling Haaland’s derby winner for Manchester City against Manchester United. Yeah, you heard that right. That massive goal, the one everyone was screaming about after City clinched a remarkable derby victory, turns out it probably shouldn’t have stood. This is big, especially after all the drama in that game.
A Wild Derby, Then The Controversial ‘Winner’
The match itself was absolutely wild from the jump. Manchester City battled with ten men for most of it after Phil Foden got a straight red card in the first half. He kicked out at United captain Bruno Fernandes, and referee Michael Oliver sent him off on 23 minutes. City’s down a man, playing their rivals at Old Trafford, and then the 60th minute rolls around. Haaland slams home a goal at the back post from Josko Gvardiol’s cross. The on-field ref immediately called it offside. Pundits barely questioned it. But then VAR stepped in. The video assistant referee said, “Nope, Haaland’s onside!” thanks to Patrick Dorgu’s boot, and the goal was awarded. City celebrates, United fumes, and the whole thing felt settled, right? Wrong.
The Offside Law VAR Totally Missed, And Pro Ref’s Embarrassing Admission
Here’s the real beef: While Haaland was technically onside, another player, Enzo Fernandez, was clearly in an offside position, diving at the ball in a more central spot than Haaland. He was attempting to head it, even though Gvardiol’s cross took a slight deflection off Dorgu’s boot. Fernandez never touched the ball, and VAR basically said, “No touch, no foul.” But that’s not the full story. Pro Ref’s statement drops the bomb: “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.” They’re saying VAR should’ve flagged it for the ref, because Fernandez, from an offside position, was likely impacting play! BBC Sport’s Dale Johnson highlights the kicker: Haaland wasn’t offside, but Fernandez was, and he was “clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent.” Both parts of that clause apply! United defender Lisandro Martinez called the whole thing an “injustice,” and boss Michael Carrick was just plain “confused.” Pro Ref made “contact with Manchester United this evening to acknowledge what we deem is an error of judgement.” That’s a direct apology for a game-winning goal in a derby! United fans are absolutely boiling right now. This isn’t just a bad call, it’s an admitted error that changed a huge derby result.
So, what’s next? Pro Ref says a “review of the incident will take place.” You know that review needs to be intense. When VAR admits they screwed up on a game-defining moment in one of the biggest rivalries in football, it shakes things up big time. For United, it’s a bitter pill to swallow, knowing they lost a derby because of a call that was flat out wrong. For the league, this admission could really make everyone question the consistency of VAR. We’re all gonna be watching closely to see how this ‘review’ plays out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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