Pro Ref acknowledges error in Haaland's goal against United

The winning goal by Erling Haaland in the derby between Manchester United and Manchester City, which fell on Sunday afternoon at Old Trafford, was later deemed incorrect by the English referee organization Pro Ref. The decision came after referee Michael Oliver initially disallowed the goal due to an alleged off‑side position of teammate Enzo Fernández. Oliver had made the decision after consulting his assistants.

Offside decision and VAR intervention

Referee Michael Oliver first blew the whistle to disallow the goal because he saw Enzo Fernández in an off‑side position. He flagged the infringement immediately after Haaland's finish. The VAR then intervened and overturned Oliver's decision.

According to the video analysis, Fernández did not touch the ball, so Haaland's goal remained valid. City therefore secured the 0‑1 victory at Old Trafford.

The English referee organization Pro Ref later confirmed that the VAR was wrong in this case. In an official statement it read: “Enzo Fernández did not touch the ball, but the VAR takes too little into account the impact that Fernández had during the attack. They should have advised the referee to review the footage on the pitch.”

Pro Ref announced this morning that the VAR was mistaken here, because Fernández from his off‑side position did have an influence on the attack. The organization emphasized that the correct interpretation of the off‑side rule is crucial for a fair match.

Reactions and unchanged result

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez, former Ajax player, labelled the decision as “totally unacceptable”. His coach Michael Carrick, who himself played for City for many years, also expressed astonishment: “You can't get clearer than this.”

Despite the controversy the result remains unchanged. Pro Ref indicated that acknowledging the refereeing error has no effect on the official standing; the victory of the Citizens remains.