Referees’ chief Howard Webb admitted the VAR completely blew it on the winning goal in Sunday’s Manchester derby. Seriously, the video assistant referee failed to even assess an offside by Enzo Fernandez, and that’s not just a small mistake, it decided the game. Webb, Premier League refereeing body Pro Ref’s chief refereeing officer, didn’t mince words on the first ‘Match Officials Mic’d Up’ of the season, saying he was “really disappointed” with the error by VAR Matt Donohue and his assistant Blake Antrobus. This wasn’t some minor call, this was a game-changer that should have seen the goal disallowed.
The VAR’s Baffling Tunnel Vision
The drama started in the 60th minute at Old Trafford when Manchester City striker Erling Haaland thought he scored the only goal. It was initially disallowed on the field for offside, but VAR swooped in. They found Haaland was just onside, by three centimeters from Josko Gvardiol’s cross, and the goal was awarded. Cool, right? Except, immediately, everyone saw the glaring mistake: Enzo Fernandez was diving at the ball in a central position, clearly interfering with opponents, and he was offside. How did the VAR team miss this? Webb described it as “tunnel vision.” Donohue and Antrobus got so focused on Haaland, checking for a touch by Fernandez that would create a new offside phase, they just completely missed the initial, subjective offside by Fernandez. They “don’t truly evaluate the full impact of Fernandez’s position,” Webb stated. It’s wild that this “really clear subjective offside” didn’t get identified. Lisandro Martinez was right there, goalkeeper Sanne Lammens was positioned for Fernandez to play the ball. It’s a shocking miss, and the officials are “obviously hurting now,” according to Webb, who also confirmed they won’t be officiating again until after the international break.
Red Cards and Missed Calls: A Messy Derby
Beyond the VAR blunder, there was also a huge debate around Phil Foden’s red card in the 23rd minute for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes. Webb backed the decision, saying Foden “kicks out with force into the upper body of Bruno Fernandes.” So that’s settled. What about Fernandes’s retaliation, a “petulant kick” into Foden’s backside? Webb said it didn’t meet the “threshold for violent conduct,” calling it “more petulant than violent.” That’s a fine line, but he agreed with the Foden dismissal. It just adds to the frustration for fans watching such a high-stakes game have its outcome impacted by such a clear officiating error. Webb says this goal “should’ve been disallowed,” and it’s something they’ll “review, reflect upon, and try to take the learning forward.” Let’s hope they do, because seeing a derby decided by such a fundamental VAR miss leaves a bitter taste. Fans deserve better than officials getting “super-focused” and missing the obvious.
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.
Leave a Reply