The professional refereeing organization, known as Pro Ref, has publicly acknowledged a mistake in the decision to award a goal to Manchester City during their 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. In a brief statement issued just a few hours after the match, Pro Ref confirmed that it had been in touch with the Manchester United club to admit an "error of judgment" and to note that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) should have recommended an on‑field review of the incident involving Erling Haaland's decisive strike. The controversy began when Haaland's effort was initially flagged for off‑side by the on‑field referee, a call that was subsequently overturned after a VAR check. The VAR panel concluded that Haaland had been played on‑side by a defensive effort from Manchester United's Patrick Dorgu.
However, the review also identified that Manchester City midfielder Enzo Fernández was positioned off‑side as he attempted to play the ball before it reached Haaland. Even though Fernández did not make contact with the ball, his movement was judged to have interfered with the defending actions of United's Lisandro Martínez, particularly as Haaland prepared his back‑post finish.
According to the Laws of the Game, such interference should have resulted in the goal being disallowed, regardless of whether the off‑side player touched the ball. A spokesperson for Pro Ref elaborated on the situation, stating: "Following the incident in the 60th minute of Sunday's Premier League fixture between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford, we can provide clarification regarding Erling Haaland's awarded goal. The on‑field decision was off‑side against Erling Haaland – that was checked by VAR and he was found to be in an on‑side position.
In the same attack, it was established that Enzo Fernández did not play the ball and therefore that makes any off‑side offence subjective; however, on this occasion, the VAR did not recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on‑field review. Contact has been made with Manchester United this evening to acknowledge what we deem is an error of judgement. A review of the incident will take place." Pro Ref, formerly known as the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) before a summer rebrand, is the governing body responsible for officiating the top four men’s divisions, the National League, the Women’s Super League, and the U21 Premier League 2 in English football.
The organization is led by former Premier League referee Howard Webb. The Premier League Match Centre posted on X (formerly Twitter) a brief explanation for the decision, noting: "VAR checked the referee's call of no goal for off‑side – and determined that Haaland was in an on‑side position and recommended that the goal was awarded.
The VAR also deemed that while in an off‑side position, Fernández didn't play the ball." This emphasis on Fernández's lack of contact seemed to align with the replay footage shown during the VAR review, which focused heavily on whether the midfielder had actually touched the ball. However, the off‑side rule is clear that a player can be penalised for off‑side even without making contact, if they obstruct an opponent or otherwise interfere with play. This principle was underscored by former Manchester United defender Gary Neville, who, while providing co‑commentary for Sky Sports, described the VAR decision as "wrong" and expressed the expectation that Pro Ref would issue an apology.
Neville’s comments on his Sky Sports interview were blunt: "We will see an apology from Pro Ref. There is no doubt that Enzo is attempting to play the ball and putting Lisandro Martínez off. It’s a really strange one. They'll recognise they got that wrong." He later added on his podcast that the governing body was "ignoring the rule" and that their statement from the Match Centre was "digging themselves a bigger hole".
He concluded that the organization would eventually have to retract its explanation. Lisandro Martínez, the United defender directly affected by the incident, also voiced his frustration in the post‑match interview, stating that the officials’ repeated mistakes were unacceptable: "Every season the officials come to our club and spend an hour explaining the rules and they look so confident with that. Then after, five or six people [officials] doing this kind of mistake in the Premier League is unacceptable. We have to go home with this injustice." Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards dismissed the Match Centre’s rationale that the goal stood because Fernández did not touch the ball, labeling the explanation as "nonsense".
Richards affirmed his belief that Fernández was clearly attempting to play the ball and that his presence had a tangible impact on the defending side: "One hundred per cent he is. I think it's been a bad day for referees and VAR. They got the Phil Foden decision wrong, and they got this decision wrong. How you can not say Enzo Fernández is challenging for the ball – of course he is!" Roy Keane, another former United player, summed up the broader sentiment: "Fernández is interfering with play.
Basically, United have been punished for holding a good line. When you are in that position, you are impacting the game. You're in the middle of the box, you're going for the ball.
Their line is good. Fernández is off‑side, and he goes to play the ball, so United are getting punished for good defending." The incident highlights the ongoing debate about the consistency and transparency of VAR decisions in the Premier League. While technology aims to eliminate clear errors, the interpretation of subjective elements—such as whether a player in an off‑side position has interfered with an opponent—remains a contentious area. The acknowledgment of an error by Pro Ref could set a precedent for future reviews and may prompt the refereeing body to refine its guidelines on when an on‑field review is mandatory.
As the review progresses, clubs, pundits, and fans alike will be watching closely to see whether Pro Ref issues a formal apology, updates its procedural instructions, or implements additional training for officials to better handle similar scenarios. The outcome could have lasting implications for the credibility of the officiating system and the trust placed in VAR to fairly adjudicate pivotal moments in high‑stakes matches.