Former professional referee chief Howard Webb has openly criticised the VAR team for failing to spot Enzo Fernandez's off‑side position during Erling Haaland's decisive strike in the Manchester derby. Webb described the oversight as a case of "tunnel vision" and expressed deep disappointment with the final decision to award the goal.
According to Webb, the on‑field officials initially flagged Haaland for off‑side, but after a VAR review they concluded the Norwegian forward was actually on‑side by a few centimetres. The problem, Webb argues, began when the video officials became fixated on confirming Haaland's position and neglected to assess the full attacking possession phase (APP). In doing so, they ignored the fact that Fernandez, who was clearly standing in an off‑side spot, had dived for the ball and interfered with the Manchester United defence.
Webb explained that a player can be penalised for off‑side even without touching the ball, provided they obstruct an opponent or influence the play. In this instance, Fernandez's movement impeded both Lisandro Martinez and goalkeeper Senne Lammens, preventing them from making a clean clearance or a proper dive.
Despite this, the VAR team recorded a "no touch" on Fernandez and proceeded to confirm the goal, effectively overlooking the off‑side infringement. "The on‑field decision was not about Fernandez; it was about Haaland," Webb told the Mic'd Up podcast. "When the VAR started their check they saw Haaland was on‑side by three centimetres. They got super focused on him, verified his position, and then ran the full APP without truly evaluating Fernandez's impact.
That narrow focus is what we call tunnel vision. The rest of the VAR team should have pulled the reviewer out of that tunnel, but they didn't, and the goal stood when it should have been disallowed." Webb also highlighted the human cost of the mistake.
He said the officials involved are likely experiencing sleepless nights and personal disappointment, as they take great pride in their work. As a result, the VAR crew will not be assigned to matches until after the international break, giving them time to reflect and learn from the error. In a statement, the Professional Referees' Association (PRO) confirmed that they had contacted Manchester United to acknowledge the mistake and shared the relevant audio and video evidence with the club. Webb said the organisation would conduct a thorough review of the incident to identify which parts of the VAR protocol broke down and why the correct outcome was not reached.
The PRO clarified that while Fernandez did not make contact with the ball, the off‑side law still applies when a player in an off‑side position interferes with an opponent's ability to play the ball. "Fernandez's dive towards the ball obstructed Martinez's clearance and limited Lammens' chance to react," Webb noted. "Those are clear examples of off‑side interference, even without a touch." Reactions from the media echoed Webb's concerns. Sky Sports analyst Laura Hunter argued that merely admitting the mistake is insufficient; a full‑scale review is owed to the clubs and players affected, especially when a decision alters the result of a high‑stakes match.
She pointed out that the Premier League's live match centre had posted that VAR deemed Fernandez "didn't play the ball" while he was clearly in an off‑side position, suggesting a misinterpretation of the rule. Hunter also questioned why the head referee, Michael Oliver, did not appear to discuss the situation with his assistant or the VAR officials to clarify who had been flagged off‑side.
"Was it Haaland, Fernandez, or both?" she asked. She added that a proper chronological analysis, applying the laws correctly, would have led to a different conclusion, likely ruling the goal out.
Sky Sports News commentator Kaveh Solhekol offered a more sympathetic view, acknowledging that the VAR and his assistant are human and can make errors, especially under the pressure of a derby. He suggested that the mistake will haunt the officials for months, but also warned that such high‑profile blunders raise questions about the reliability of video‑assisted technology itself. "If forensic technology cannot eliminate basic officiating mistakes, we must ask whether it should be relied upon at all," he wrote.
In summary, Howard Webb's candid assessment underscores a systemic issue within VAR operations: an over‑emphasis on a single player can cause officials to miss critical aspects of the play, such as off‑side interference by another player. The incident has prompted calls for clearer protocols, better communication among VAR team members, and perhaps a reassessment of how the technology is integrated into the decision‑making process. The fallout from the Manchester derby will likely influence future VAR training and could lead to rule clarifications to prevent similar oversights. The controversy also serves as a reminder that football, despite its increasing reliance on technology, remains a human sport where judgment calls can still go wrong.
As clubs, fans, and governing bodies await the outcome of the PRO's internal review, the hope is that lessons learned will improve the accuracy and fairness of future matches, ensuring that goals are only awarded when every aspect of the play complies with the Laws of the Game.