🚨 VAR Officials Punished After Controversial Haaland Goal in Manchester Derby
Manchester United’s controversial Manchester derby defeat has taken another turn after the refereeing authorities admitted that the VAR decision to allow Erling Haaland’s winning goal was incorrect.
The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but VAR overturned the on-field decision and allowed Haaland’s strike to stand. The issue was that City midfielder Enzo Fernández was also in an offside position and was judged not to have interfered with play.
However, Pro Ref later acknowledged that the VAR team made an error and should have advised referee Michael Oliver to conduct an on-field review.
As a consequence, VAR official Matt Donohue and assistant VAR Blake Antrobus have been stood down from Premier League duty. They are not expected to return until after the international break.
Chief refereeing officer Howard Webb subsequently described the incident as a VAR error caused by the officials focusing too narrowly on Haaland’s position and failing to properly consider Fernández’s involvement in the build-up.
The decision is particularly significant for Manchester United because Haaland’s goal proved to be the only goal of the match, giving Manchester City a 1–0 victory at Old Trafford.
The Premier League has therefore acknowledged that the key VAR decision was wrong, while the officials involved have now faced consequences for the mistake.
🔴 United fans will feel hard done by
For Manchester United supporters, the admission will inevitably make the result even more frustrating. While the team’s overall performance can still be debated, the official acknowledgement means there is now confirmation that a crucial refereeing decision went against United.
Carrick and his players will now have to move forward, but the VAR controversy is unlikely to disappear quickly.
What do you think?
Should VAR officials face stronger consequences when a major error directly influences the result of a Premier League match? 👇🔴