The Premier League’s refereeing association just flat-out said they messed up. Seriously. Professional Game Referees, the body overseeing officials in English football, admitted “an error of judgement” in Manchester City’s nail-biting 1-0 victory over Manchester United on Sunday. This isn’t some rumor, folks, Pro Ref sent out a statement clarifying everything, and it throws a massive shadow over what was already a chippy Manchester Derby.
VAR Missed a Call That Had Major Impact
So, here’s the deal: Erling Haaland’s game-winning goal in the 60th minute, the one that sunk United, should have absolutely been subject to an on-field offsides review. Pro Ref confirmed that Haaland himself was onside, which is fine. The actual problem? Enzo Fernandez. He was offsides during the same attack. The referees’ body says VAR didn’t recognize the “likely impact” of Fernandez’s position on the play. This means the VAR crew should have stepped in and recommended an on-field review, but they just… didn’t. Per international insider Fabrizio Romano, Pro Ref has even reached out to Manchester United directly to acknowledge their blunder. This isn’t just a small oversight, this is the body in charge saying, “Yeah, we blew it on a game-winner in one of the biggest matches of the year.”
Ten Men, One Goal, and a Wild Derby Finish
Even without the referee drama, Sunday’s derby was a straight up battle. Things went sideways for Man City super early when Phil Foden got a straight red card in the 23rd minute. He kicked at Bruno Fernandes while on the ground, and that was it for him. City had to play the rest of the game with only ten men, which is an absolutely brutal uphill climb, especially on Man United’s home turf at Old Trafford. But then, in the 60th minute, Haaland pulled out his hero cape. He chipped a pass from Josko Gvardiol into the back of the net, grabbing that crucial lead. New manager Enzo Maresca, in his first season at the helm, had plenty to celebrate as City held onto that 1-0 advantage for more than 35 minutes, securing the win despite being a man down.
Where Do They Go From Here?
This win, though now heavily contested, keeps Man City on a perfect 4-0-0 record to start the Premier League season. They’re sitting pretty in second place, tied on points with Arsenal, who are also undefeated. For Man United, this loss joins their stunning opening weekend defeat to recent Championship side Hull City, putting their record at a shaky 1-1-2. With Pro Ref admitting such a huge “error of judgement,” you gotta wonder what this means for future matches. The incident is going to be reviewed, and you can bet every fan, especially United’s, will be watching closely to see what, if anything, comes from this unbelievable admission.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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