Premier League refereeing chiefs admit a VAR error over Erling Haaland’s decisive goal as officials face suspension after Manchester City’s derby win.
The controversial goal that gave Manchester City victory over Manchester United in the Manchester derby has taken another dramatic turn, with the Premier League’s refereeing body admitting that VAR got the decision wrong.
VAR officials Matthew Donohue and Blake Antrobus have been stood down from their upcoming Premier League assignments following the incident at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Erling Haaland’s 60th-minute goal proved decisive as Manchester City, despite playing with 10 men for more than an hour, beat Manchester United 1-0.
The goal was initially ruled out for offside before a lengthy VAR review overturned the decision.
At first glance, the review appeared to establish that Haaland had been played onside by Manchester United defender Patrick Dorgu. However, another part of the attack quickly became the centre of the controversy.
City midfielder Enzo Fernández was in an offside position and attempted to reach the cross before Haaland finished at the far post.
Although Fernández did not make contact with the ball, Pro Ref, the body responsible for refereeing in English football, has now admitted that his position should have been considered more carefully.
According to Pro Ref, the VAR team failed to recognise the likely impact of Fernández’s position and should have recommended that referee Michael Oliver review the incident himself. The body described the decision as an “error of judgment” and said it had contacted Manchester United to acknowledge the mistake.
That admission has now been followed by action against the officials involved, with Donohue and Antrobus stood down from their next Premier League appointments.
A goal that changed the derby
The controversy is significant because Haaland’s finish was not merely a disputed moment in an otherwise comfortable City victory.
It was the difference between winning and dropping points.
City had already been reduced to 10 men in the 23rd minute when Phil Foden was shown a straight red card following an incident involving United captain Bruno Fernandes.
United had more than an hour to exploit the numerical advantage but struggled to turn possession into clear chances.
Marcus Rashford hit the post with a free-kick before Kobbie Mainoo also struck the woodwork after the break.
Then came Haaland’s moment.
Joško Gvardiol’s deflected cross reached the Norwegian at the far post, where he finished brilliantly. The assistant referee immediately flagged for offside, only for VAR to intervene and overturn the decision after a lengthy review.
The goal stood. City held on.
But the following day, the controversy became bigger than the goal itself.
United left with more questions than points
Manchester United ultimately lost 1-0, but the latest admission from Pro Ref means the club now has official confirmation that the VAR process surrounding the decisive moment contained an error.
It does not change the result, but it does add another layer to a derby that was already filled with controversy.
For Manchester City, the victory maintained their perfect start to the Premier League season.
For United, it was another frustrating afternoon at Old Trafford — and one where the decisive goal will continue to dominate the conversation long after the final whistle.
The bigger question now is whether the decision to stand down the VAR officials will restore confidence in the system or simply fuel another debate about the consistency of Premier League officiating.
