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 only a few hours after the match, Pro Ref confirmed that it had contacted Manchester United to admit an "error of judgment" and admitted that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) should have recommended an on‑field review of Erling Haaland's decisive goal. Sky Sports News reports that United have received a formal apology for the incorrect VAR ruling, although the club has said it will not pursue further action against the refereeing body. Manchester United’s officials expressed frustration over the incident but also thanked Howard Webb, the head of Pro Ref, and his team for acknowledging the error and explaining how it occurred.
The controversy centres on the sequence that led to Haaland's goal. Initially, the on‑field referee ruled the strike offside, but after a VAR check the decision was overturned and the goal stood. VAR officials concluded that Manchester United defender Patrick Dorgu had played Haaland onside.
However, they also noted that Manchester City midfielder Enzo Fernández was in an offside position when he attempted to play the ball before it reached Haaland. Although Fernández did not actually touch the ball, his movement appeared to interfere with United defender Lisandro Martínez as Haaland completed his back‑post finish. Under the Laws of the Game, such interference can be sufficient to deem a player offside, meaning the goal should have been disallowed. A Pro Ref spokesperson clarified the situation, stating: "The on‑field decision was offside against Erling Haaland – that was checked by VAR and he was found to be onside.
In the same attack, it was established that Enzo Fernández 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 judgement. A review of the incident will take place." Pro Ref, which oversees refereeing in the Premier League, the Championship, League One, League Two, the National League, the Women's Super League and the U21 Premier League 2, is led by former Premier League referee Howard Webb.
The body rebranded from Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) to its current name in the summer preceding the incident. The Premier League’s official Match Centre posted a brief explanation on X (formerly Twitter), stating: "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, Fernández didn't play the ball." This wording placed heavy emphasis on Fernández’s lack of contact, a point that many pundits argued missed the broader interpretation of the offside rule. According to the Laws of the Game, a player can be penalised for offside even if they do not touch the ball, provided they interfere with an opponent’s ability to play the ball or gain an advantage.
In this case, Fernández’s proximity to Martínez and his attempt to play the ball arguably impeded Martínez’s defensive actions, a nuance that the VAR officials appeared to overlook. Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville, who was providing co‑commentary for Sky Sports, was vocal in his criticism, describing the VAR decision as "wrong" and predicting an apology from Pro Ref.
Neville said, "We will see an apology from Pro Ref. There is no doubt that Enzo is attempting to play the ball and putting Lisandro Martínez off. It's a really strange one.
They'll recognise they got that wrong." Neville later expanded his thoughts on his own podcast, accusing the officials of ignoring the rule and “digging themselves a bigger hole” with the Match Centre’s statement. He called for a retraction, emphasizing that the decision set a dangerous precedent for future offside interpretations. Lisandro Martínez himself echoed the sentiment in the post‑match interview, insisting the goal should not have counted.
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 Manchester City defender Micah Richards also dismissed the Match Centre’s justification, labeling it "nonsense". He affirmed that Fernández was clearly attempting to play the ball and argued that the VAR’s interpretation was flawed.
"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!" Roy Keane, a former United captain, added that Fernández’s interference amounted to a legitimate offside offence, and that United were unfairly 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 explained.
Jamie Carragher, another former defender, described the decision as "a bad one" and suggested that officials have become overly fixated on Haaland’s on‑side status while neglecting the impact of Fernández’s positioning. He compared the incident to a previous VAR controversy involving Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, concluding that the Manchester derby mistake was arguably more serious because it decided the only goal of a high‑profile match. The episode has reignited debate over VAR’s role in the Premier League and the need for clearer guidelines on what constitutes interference.
Critics argue that the current system allows for subjective interpretations that can dramatically alter match outcomes, especially in games with significant stakes. Pro Ref’s admission of error may prompt a review of protocols, potentially leading to more rigorous on‑field reviews when a player’s off‑side position is borderline or when there is any doubt about interference.
As the football community continues to dissect the incident, the apology from Pro Ref serves as a reminder that even the most advanced technology cannot replace the need for consistent, transparent officiating. The incident will likely be studied in referee training sessions for years to come, with the aim of preventing a repeat of such a high‑profile mistake.
In the meantime, Manchester United will move forward, focusing on their upcoming fixtures while hoping that future VAR decisions are handled with greater accuracy and fairness. The controversy also underscores the importance of clubs and governing bodies maintaining open lines of communication, ensuring that errors are acknowledged promptly and that steps are taken to improve the officiating framework for the benefit of the sport as a whole.