The governing body for referees in English football, 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 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 accepted the apology but will not pursue any further action against Pro Ref, despite remaining deeply frustrated by the incident. The club praised the efforts of former Premier League referee Howard Webb and the Pro Ref team for reaching out, explaining the mistake and offering an apology.
The controversy centres on the goal that was initially flagged for off‑side by the on‑field officials, only to be overturned after a VAR review. The VAR officials concluded that Haaland was on‑side because Manchester United defender Patrick Dorgu had played the ball to him.
However, they 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 did not actually make 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 been sufficient to keep the goal disallowed. A Pro Ref spokesperson explained the situation in detail: "The on‑field decision was that Haaland was off‑side – that call was checked by VAR and he was found to be on‑side. In the same attack, it was established that Enzo Fernández did not play the ball and therefore any off‑side offence became subjective.
However, the VAR failed to 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 Howard Webb. The body rebranded from PGMO to Professional Game Referees during the summer, aiming to increase transparency and accountability. The Premier League Match Centre posted on X that the VAR had "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 be awarded.
The VAR also deemed that while in an off‑side position, Fernández didn't play the ball." This emphasis on Fernández not touching the ball aligned with replays shown during the VAR review, which appeared to focus on whether the midfielder had made contact. 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.
In this case, Fernández’s positioning and movement arguably impeded Martínez’s line of sight and defensive action, an interference that should have nullified the goal. Former United defender Gary Neville, speaking on Sky Sports commentary at the time, labelled the VAR decision "wrong" and predicted an apology from Pro Ref.
He said, "We will see an apology from Pro Ref. 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." On his podcast, Neville added, "I think they are ignoring the rule. They are digging themselves a bigger hole with the Match Centre statement. I'm really surprised they put that out.
They will have to retract that." Lisandro Martínez himself expressed his disappointment in the post‑match interview, stating, "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 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 insisted, "One hundred per cent he is.
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! 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 echoed similar sentiments, arguing that Fernández was interfering with play and that United were penalised for maintaining a solid defensive line. Jamie Carragher also labelled the decision a "bad one", noting that the officials seemed obsessed with proving Haaland on‑side while overlooking Fernández’s impact. The incident has drawn comparisons to a previous VAR error involving Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, whose goal against Tottenham was incorrectly ruled out for off‑side.
Carragher suggested that the Manchester derby mistake was even more severe because it decided the only goal of a high‑stakes match watched worldwide. In response to the controversy, Pro Ref has pledged a formal review of the incident and indicated that lessons will be learned to improve future VAR protocols. The apology, while welcomed by United, does little to erase the frustration felt by players, coaches, and fans who believe a clear error altered the outcome of one of the season’s most important fixtures.