Pro Ref Admits VAR Error Over Haaland’s Manchester Derby Winner

Manchester United have been told that an on-field review should have been recommended before Erling Haaland’s Manchester derby winner was allowed to stand, after Pro Ref accepted an error of judgement in the VAR process at Old Trafford.

Why the decision matters

Haaland finished Gvardiol’s delivery at the back post in the 60th minute, but the assistant initially raised the flag for offside. The goal was subsequently restored following a VAR review and settled a derby City completed with 10 men after Phil Foden’s first-half red card.

The Premier League Match Centre initially stated that VAR had judged Haaland to be onside. It also concluded that Enzo Fernández, although standing in an offside position, had not played the ball.

Pro Ref later accepted that the review had failed to account adequately for the probable effect of Fernández’s position. It said the incident should instead have been sent back to the referee for a pitchside review, and made contact with United to acknowledge the mistake.

Peter Schmeichel, the former United goalkeeper who played 292 times for the club, responded by calling for VAR to be removed from the game. He argued that the system has placed too much focus on officials and has undermined the immediacy of scoring goals.

Schmeichel said celebrations now stop when a goal is scored because players and supporters wait for a VAR verdict. He said he wanted football to return to a time without the technology, describing it as an intrusion which has not improved the sport.

Gary Neville also questioned how the offside law had been applied during his commentary on the match. The former United defender said the ruling had left him confused and believed officials would conclude, on review, that the decision had been wrong.