The governing refereeing organisation, 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 match decided by Erling Haaland's late strike. In a brief statement issued only 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 goal. According to Sky Sports News, United have received a formal apology for the faulty VAR call, but the club has indicated that it will not pursue any further action against the refereeing body, despite expressing lingering frustration over the incident. United’s officials said they appreciated the effort made by former Premier League referee Howard Webb and the Pro Ref team to explain the misstep, even if the damage to the result cannot be undone.
The controversy centres on the moment when Haaland's goal was first ruled out for off‑side by the on‑field referee, only to be reversed after a VAR review. The VAR officials concluded that Manchester United defender Patrick Dorgu had played Haaland on‑side, but they also noted that City midfielder Enzo Fernández was in an off‑side position when he attempted to play the ball before it reached the Norwegian striker. Although Fernández never actually made contact with the ball, the VAR panel argued that his movement interfered with United defender Lisandro Martínez, thereby influencing the play. Under the Laws of the Game, such interference can be sufficient to keep a goal disallowed, even if the player does not touch the ball.
A Pro Ref spokesperson elaborated on the incident, stating: "The on‑field decision initially flagged Haaland as off‑side. VAR checked the call and found him on‑side.
In the same attacking move, it was determined that Enzo Fernández did not play the ball, making any off‑side offence subjective. However, the VAR failed to recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on‑field review." The spokesperson added that Pro Ref had reached out to Manchester United that evening to acknowledge what they termed an "error of judgment" and that a formal review of the incident would be conducted. Pro Ref, which oversees officiating across England's 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 body rebranded from PGMO to its current name during the summer. In a post on the social platform X, the Premier League Match Centre defended the decision, noting that VAR had verified the referee's call of no goal for off‑side, found Haaland on‑side, and highlighted that Fernández did not play the ball.
This emphasis on Fernández's lack of contact was echoed in the VAR replay footage, which appeared to focus on whether the midfielder had actually touched the ball. Nevertheless, the off‑side rule is clear: a player can be penalised for off‑side even without touching the ball if his position interferes with an opponent’s ability to play the ball. Former United defender Gary Neville, speaking on Sky Sports' co‑commentary, argued that the VAR officials were "wrong" to allow the goal. He later 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 went on to say on his podcast that the Match Centre’s statement seemed to ignore the rule and that the referees were digging themselves a deeper hole. Lisandro Martínez, the United centre‑back who was directly involved in the incident, also voiced his displeasure in a post‑match interview.
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 rationale as "nonsense," insisting that Fernández was clearly attempting to play the ball. "One hundred per cent he is," Richards said.
"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 Fernández is challenging for the ball – of course he is!" He added that any slight movement by a defender in a crowded box can affect an attacker’s chance, underscoring why the interference should have been considered. Roy Keane, a former United captain, echoed similar sentiments, arguing that United were punished for maintaining a solid defensive line.
"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," Keane said. "Their line is good. Fernández is off‑side, and he goes to play the ball, so United are getting punished for good defending." Jamie Carragher, a former Liverpool defender, also labelled the decision "a bad one," noting that the goal looked off‑side at first glance.
He suggested that VAR officials had become overly focused on confirming Haaland’s on‑side status while neglecting the nuanced impact of Fernández’s positioning. Carragher drew a parallel with a previous VAR error involving Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, whose goal against Tottenham was incorrectly ruled out for off‑side.
While he considered that earlier incident a communication error, he argued that the Haaland decision was a far more consequential mistake because it decided a high‑profile Manchester derby, a match watched by millions worldwide. "There was only one goal in the game which makes it feel worse," Carragher said.
"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]." The fallout from the incident has reignited the broader debate about VAR’s role in English football. Critics argue that the technology, intended to eliminate clear errors, sometimes creates new controversies when officials interpret the laws inconsistently or fail to apply them uniformly.
Pro Ref’s admission of an error and its promise to review the case may prompt a re‑examination of how off‑side judgments are communicated to the on‑field referee and whether a mandatory on‑field review should be triggered in similar borderline situations. In summary, the Professional Game Referees organisation has apologized to Manchester United for a contentious VAR decision that allowed Erling Haaland’s winning goal to stand, acknowledging that the review process should have been more thorough.
While United have accepted the apology without further recourse, the incident has left a lasting impression on fans, pundits and former players, all of whom agree that the decision was flawed and that the governing bodies must strive for greater clarity and consistency in future VAR interventions.