VAR controversy in Manchester derby leaves Tielemans furious

Youri Tielemans, the Belgian midfielder, felt anger after the Manchester derby, in which Manchester United narrowly lost and a VAR‑approved winning goal by Erling Haaland was decisive. The decision left a sour feeling for the Red Devil.

VAR‑decision and off‑side twist

Erling Haaland turned a cross from Josko Gvardiol in and struck once past goalkeeper Senne Lammens. Just before that, Enzo Fernández was clearly offside; he did not touch the ball, but he influenced the defence. Lisandro Martínez defended on Fernández, which for Tielemans was sufficient reason to question the refereeing.

The VAR saw it differently. Because Fernández did not touch the ball, it was judged that he was not actively participating in the play, leaving Haaland’s strike standing. At United, few understood that reasoning; the players felt that Fernández, by his position, did have an impact on the goal‑scoring phase.

Several analysts and Manchester United icon Gary Neville were also critical. Neville argued that Fernández clearly hindered the defender and that it was impossible to ignore his impact. Fern was cited by some as an example of an incomplete assessment.

The English Refereeing Department later acknowledged an error in the assessment. According to the explanation, the VAR had insufficiently assessed Fernández’s influence and should have recommended a review by the on‑field referee. At United, that acknowledgment was partially correct, but it changed nothing to the result.

For Tielemans and his teammates the frustration remained. The Red Devil emphasized that United had to leave the match with an unjust feeling. “4 out of 12 is too little, we are aware of that. We must do much better,” he said, referring to the four points after four games.