The governing body for English football officials, Professional Game Referees (formerly known as PGMO), has publicly acknowledged a mistake in the decision that awarded Manchester City a 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford. In a statement issued just hours after the match, Pro Ref confirmed that it had contacted United to admit an "error of judgment" and conceded that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) should have recommended an on‑field review of Erling Haaland's decisive strike. According to Sky Sports News, United have been offered an apology for the faulty VAR call, but the club has decided not to pursue any further action against the refereeing organization, despite lingering frustration. United’s management expressed appreciation for the effort made by former Premier League referee Howard Webb and his team to explain and apologise for the incident.
The controversy centres on a goal that was initially flagged for off‑side by the on‑field officials, only to be overturned after a VAR review. The VAR panel concluded that Haaland was on‑side because Manchester United defender Patrick Dorgu had played him on. However, the review also noted that City midfielder Enzo Fernández was in an off‑side position when he attempted to play the ball before it reached Haaland.
Although Fernández never made contact with the ball, his movement was deemed to have interfered with United defender Lisandro Martínez, which under the Laws of the Game should have resulted in the goal being disallowed. A Pro Ref spokesperson explained the sequence of events: "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, which oversees officiating across the four men’s top divisions, the National League, the Women's Super League and the U21 Premier League 2, is led by Howard Webb. The body rebranded from Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) to its current name earlier this summer.
The Premier League Match Centre posted on X that the 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 wording mirrors the replay footage shown during the VAR review, which appeared to focus on whether the midfielder had touched the ball.
Nevertheless, the off‑side rule is clear: a player can be penalised for off‑side even without touching the ball if they interfere with an opponent’s ability to play the ball. Former United defender Gary Neville, commenting live for Sky Sports, argued that the VAR officials were "wrong" to allow the goal. He predicted an apology from Pro Ref, stating, "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." Neville later elaborated on his podcast, accusing the officials of ignoring the rule and digging a deeper hole with the Match Centre’s statement. He expressed surprise at the official narrative and called for a retraction. Lisandro Martínez, speaking after the match, echoed the sentiment that the goal should not have stood. He told Sky Sports, "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 City defender Micah Richards dismissed the Match Centre’s justification, calling it "nonsense". He affirmed that Fernández was clearly attempting to play the ball and criticised the VAR team for a "bad day for referees and VAR". Richards added, "How can you not say Enzo Fernández 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 weighed in, stating that Fernández was interfering with play and that United were penalised for maintaining a solid defensive line.
"Their line is good. Fernández is off‑side, and he goes to play the ball, so United are getting punished for good defending," Keane said.
Jamie Carragher also described the decision as "a bad one", noting that the goal looked off‑side at first glance and that officials seemed overly focused on Haaland's on‑side status while neglecting Fernández's impact. He compared the error to a previous VAR controversy involving Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, concluding that the Manchester United incident was a bigger mistake because it occurred in a high‑profile match with only one goal deciding the outcome. The incident has reignited debate over VAR protocols, the interpretation of off‑side interference, and the transparency of officiating bodies. While Pro Ref has promised a review of the episode, United appear satisfied with the apology and are unlikely to pursue disciplinary measures.
The episode serves as a reminder that even with advanced technology, human judgement remains a critical and sometimes fallible component of football officiating.