VAR judgment error that favored City in the Manchester derby
City won the Manchester derby after Erling Haaland's goal, but the English referees committee admitted on Sunday that the play contained a judgment error due to the off‑side position of Enzo Fernández.
The main referee Michael Oliver initially disallowed the goal, alleging a possible off‑side position for Haaland, although the play showed that the Norwegian striker had moved legally. However, the VAR review confirmed that Haaland was not infringing the rule.
In the build‑up of the play, Enzo Fernández was in an off‑side position in the centre of the penalty area, before the ball reached Haaland, which occurred in the 60th minute at Old Trafford. His intention was to strike the ball, but he did not get to touch it.
“The decision on the field was off‑side against Erling Haaland. That was reviewed by the VAR and found to be in a legal position,” explained a spokesperson for the organization. He added, “In the same attack, it was established that Enzo Fernández did not play the ball, therefore any off‑side offence is subjective.”
Admission of the error by the committee
Pro Referees, the body that oversees the Premier League and other competitions, acknowledged on Sunday that the VAR did not detect the probable impact of the position of Fernández and should have recommended a review on the field. The committee contacted Manchester United during “this evening” to acknowledge the judgment error.
According to the statement, a review of the incident will be carried out to clarify the performance of the referee and the VAR. The body emphasized that the decision to validate the goal was subjective and that the lack of review was an omission.
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