Pro Ref has acknowledged an error of judgment regarding Erling Haaland's winning goal in Manchester City's 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The English refereeing body, Pro Ref, has admitted that a VAR decision during Sunday's Premier League match between Manchester United and Manchester City was an error. The body confirmed it made contact with Manchester United to acknowledge that officials should have recommended an on-field review for Erling Haaland's 60th-minute goal. While the goal was initially disallowed for offside, VAR overturned the decision, determining that Haaland was onside and that teammate Enzo Fernandez did not play the ball.

The disputed goal and VAR process

The controversy centered on the positioning of Enzo Fernandez, who was in an offside position during the build-up to Haaland's back-post finish. Although Fernandez did not touch the ball, his movement appeared to impact the defensive efforts of Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez. Pro Ref stated that while the offside offense was subjective because Fernandez did not play the ball, the VAR failed to recognize the likely impact of his position on the play.

Reactions from players and pundits

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez criticized the decision, calling the error unacceptable. Pundits also weighed in, with Gary Neville stating that officials ignored the rules and Micah Richards describing the explanation provided by the Premier League Match Centre as nonsense. Roy Keane added that Fernandez was clearly interfering with play, noting that Manchester United was effectively punished for maintaining a good defensive line.