Howard Webb, the chief executive of the Professional Referees Organization, has openly criticised the VAR team for overlooking Enzo Fernandez’s off‑side position during Erling Haaland’s decisive strike in the Manchester derby. Webb described the incident as a case of "tunnel vision" – the officials became so fixated on confirming Haaland’s on‑side status that they failed to assess the full attacking possession phase (APP) and the impact of Fernandez, who was standing well ahead of the defensive line. Webb explained that the on‑field referee initially disallowed the goal because Haaland appeared to be off‑side. After a VAR review, the officials concluded that Haaland was actually on‑side by a margin of three centimetres.
At that point, the review shifted its attention exclusively to Haaland, confirming his on‑side position and then checking that no one else had touched the ball. The VAR team noted that Fernandez had not made contact with the ball and therefore declared the goal valid. However, the off‑side rule does not require a player to touch the ball; it also penalises a player who interferes with an opponent’s ability to play the ball. Webb argued that Fernandez, who was clearly in an off‑side position, dived for the ball, obstructed Lisandro Martinez’s attempt to clear, and impeded goalkeeper Senne Lammens’s movement.
Those actions should have been enough to nullify the goal under the current laws of the game. In an interview with Mic’d Up, Webb said, "The on‑field decision was not about Fernandez; it was about Haaland.
When the VAR started the check, they saw Haaland was on‑side by three centimetres. The VAR got super focused on Haaland, confirmed his on‑side status, and then ran through the full APP. Unfortunately, they didn’t fully evaluate Fernandez’s impact. In that moment they suffered tunnel vision, and the rest of the VAR team didn’t pull them out of it.
This goal should have been disallowed." Webb added that the error was deeply disappointing for everyone involved, especially the officials who take great pride in their work. He confirmed that the VAR officials responsible for the mistake would be stood down until after the international break while the incident is reviewed.
"We have reached out to Manchester United and acknowledged the error, as we do when these things happen. Transparency is essential," Webb said. "We have provided the club with the audio and video footage so they can see exactly what occurred.
We will dissect the process to understand where it broke down." The VAR’s official transcript, as released by the Premier League, shows the sequence of calls: the assistant VAR flagged a possible off‑side, the on‑field referee initially raised the flag for Haaland, the VAR then confirmed Haaland was on‑side, checked the full APP, and ultimately declared the goal after confirming that Fernandez had not touched the ball. The transcript does not contain any reference to Fernandez’s off‑side position or his interference with the defenders, highlighting the narrow scope of the review. Commentators and analysts have weighed in on the broader implications of the mistake. Sky Sports’ Laura Hunter argued that simply admitting the error is insufficient; a full‑scale review is required to restore confidence in the VAR system.
She pointed out that the Premier League’s match centre tweet stated that "VAR also deemed that while in an off‑side position, Enzo Fernandez didn’t play the ball," effectively ignoring the part of the law that penalises a player for obstructing an opponent even without touching the ball. Hunter questioned whether the technology, which is supposed to eliminate basic officiating errors, is being used correctly at all. Sky Sports News’ Kaveh Solhekol offered a more sympathetic perspective, acknowledging the human element of the mistake.
He noted that while fans—especially Manchester United supporters—will view the error as unforgivable, the VAR officials themselves are likely suffering from sleepless nights replaying the incident. "Human beings make mistakes," Solhekol said, "and on this occasion two officials made a very big one that they will regret for a long time." The incident has reignited the debate over VAR’s effectiveness and the training of its officials. Critics argue that the technology should be able to catch even the most straightforward infractions, such as an off‑side player interfering with the defence.
Supporters of VAR maintain that the system is still evolving and that occasional errors are inevitable as officials adapt to new protocols. In summary, Howard Webb’s candid assessment highlights a clear lapse in the VAR process: an over‑concentration on confirming Haaland’s on‑side status led to the neglect of Enzo Fernandez’s off‑side interference, ultimately allowing a goal that should have been disallowed.
The incident underscores the need for comprehensive reviews of the entire attacking possession phase, better communication among VAR team members, and perhaps a re‑evaluation of how the off‑side rule is applied in real‑time video analysis. The fallout will see the officials involved sidelined temporarily, and Manchester United has been briefed on the mistake, with the league promising greater transparency moving forward.