Pro Ref admits error – Haaland's goal in the derby remains disputed
Erling Haaland's winning goal secured Manchester City the victory in the 199th Manchester Derby, but the goal sparked intense debate because of a disputed off‑side position, as the referees admitted a mistake and the refereeing organisation Pro Ref issued a statement. The match was the 199th meeting of the teams of Michael Carrick and Enzo Maresca.
Controversy over the decisive goal
In the 23rd minute Phil Foden received a red card, which further hampered the game for City. Despite the dismissal the action remained exciting, until Haaland's strike after an hour decided the result. Haaland's off‑side position was initially challenged, but the VAR confirmed the legality of the goal.
The VAR examined Erling Haaland's position and found that he was not in an off‑side position. The result was a winning goal for City, even though the team had been playing with a Phil Foden red card on their minds since the 23rd minute. The decision immediately sparked debate.
At the same time Enzo Fernández was in a clear off‑side position, but did not touch the ball. The VAR judged his influence to be minimal and allowed the goal to stand. Pro Ref later explained that Fernández's position had been assessed subjectively and that a review on the monitor should have been recommended.
A spokesperson for the refereeing organisation Pro Ref issued a statement: “On the pitch an off‑side was called against Erling Haaland – this was reviewed by the VAR, and it turned out that he was in a non‑off‑side position.” He added that in the same attack the position of Enzo Fernández was not correctly identified.
Michael Carrick, manager of Manchester United, reacted angrily: “That is stupéfiant, I don’t understand how the referees can make such mistakes despite all the tools.” His words were repeated in a BBC interview and highlighted United’s dissatisfaction.
Pro Ref contacted Manchester United later that evening to officially apologise for the error. The organisation emphasized that the VAR system had not correctly analysed the situation and that a review should be recommended in the future. Despite the apology the result remains unchanged, and City retain the three points.