The governing body for English football referees, Professional Game Referees (formerly known as PGMO), has publicly acknowledged a mistake in the decision that awarded Manchester City a 1-0 win at Old Trafford, a result that hinged on Erling Haaland's late strike. In a brief statement issued just a few hours after the match, Pro Ref confirmed that it had contacted Manchester United to admit an "error of judgment" and to concede that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) should have recommended an on‑field review of the incident. According to Sky Sports News, United have accepted the apology but have decided not to pursue any further action against Pro Ref, despite expressing considerable frustration over the episode. The club appreciated the efforts made by former Premier League referee Howard Webb and the Pro Ref team to explain the misstep and to offer an apology.
The controversy stemmed from Haaland's goal, which was initially flagged for offside by the on‑field officials. After a VAR check, the decision was reversed and the goal stood. The VAR officials argued that the Manchester United defender Patrick Dorgu had played Haaland onside, but they also noted that Manchester City midfielder Enzo Fernandez was in an offside position when he attempted to play the ball before it reached Haaland. Although Fernandez never actually touched the ball, his movement appeared to interfere with United defender Lisandro Martínez, an action that, under the Laws of the Game, should have resulted in the goal being disallowed.
A Pro Ref spokesperson elaborated on the incident, stating: "Following the 60th‑minute incident in 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 offside against Haaland – that was checked by VAR and he was found to be onside. In the same attack, it was established that Enzo Fernandez did not play the ball and therefore that makes any offside 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 judgment. A review of the incident will take place." Pro Ref, which oversees refereeing across the four top men’s divisions, the National League, the Women's Super League and the U21 Premier League 2, is led by Howard Webb.
The organization rebranded from PGMO to Professional Game Referees during the summer. The Premier League Match Centre posted on X that the VAR "checked the referee's call of no goal for offside – and determined that Haaland was in an onside position and recommended that the goal was awarded. The VAR also deemed that while in an offside position, Fernandez didn't play the ball." This emphasis on Fernandez's lack of contact was echoed in the replay footage shown during the VAR review, which seemed focused on whether the midfielder had actually touched the ball.
However, the offside rule is clear: a player can be penalised for being offside even if he does not touch the ball, provided he interferes with an opponent’s ability to play the ball. In this case, many pundits argued that Fernandez’s positioning and movement impeded Martínez, thereby constituting interference. Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville, speaking on Sky Sports co‑commentary, described the VAR decision as "wrong" and predicted an apology from Pro Ref.
Neville told Sky Sports, "We will see an apology from Pro Ref. There is no doubt that Enzo is attempting to play the ball and putting Lisandro Martinez off. It's a really strange one.
They'll recognise they got that wrong." On his podcast, Neville added, "I think they are ignoring the rule. They are digging themselves a bigger hole with the Match Centre statement.
I'm really surprised they put that out. They will have to retract that." Lisandro Martínez himself, in the post‑match interview, insisted the goal should not have stood.
He said, "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 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 justification, calling it "nonsense".
He affirmed that Fernandez was clearly attempting to play the ball, stating, "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 can you not say Enzo Fernandez is challenging for the ball – of course he is! I've been in that position as a defender where any slight movement can make the difference for going for the ball or not, so of course it affects him. I just think they've got it so wrong." Roy Keane echoed similar sentiments, arguing that Fernandez’s interference penalised United for good defending: "Fernandez 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. Fernandez is offside, and he goes to play the ball, so United are getting punished for good defending." Jamie Carragher also labelled the decision "a bad one" ahead of Monday Night Football, noting that the goal looked offside at first glance. He said, "It seems to me they've become obsessed with Haaland being onside.
They haven't gone into as much detail with Fernandez in the middle and understanding of his impact on it." The incident drew comparisons to a previous VAR error involving Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, whose goal against Tottenham was wrongly ruled out for offside. Carragher argued that while the Liverpool case was a communication error, the Haaland decision was a far more significant mistake because it occurred in a high‑profile Manchester derby with only a single goal deciding the match. He remarked, "What happened yesterday was a huge error and it was a huge game. One of the biggest games not just in our league, but around the world.
There was only one goal in the game which makes it feel worse. I think it's different to the Liverpool one because you don't expect that not to be a goal. They confirm it's a goal, really.
I'm still going for the Liverpool one being worse, but this feels worse because of the stakes." In summary, Pro Ref has admitted that its VAR team failed to recommend an on‑field review when it should have, and it has reached out to Manchester United to apologise for the misjudgment. While United have accepted the apology, the episode has reignited a broader debate about the consistency and transparency of VAR decisions in the Premier League, especially in matches where a single goal can determine the outcome. The controversy underscores the ongoing challenges faced by referees and technology officials in applying the offside rule accurately and maintaining confidence among clubs, players, and fans.