Another controversial VAR decision has put refereeing in the Premier League at the centre of criticism. Pro Ref, the body that oversees referees in the English championship, has admitted that Erling Haaland’s goal against Manchester United should not have been considered valid.
Official admission after the controversy
The case concerns the goal scored by the Norwegian striker in the 60th minute of the Manchester derby. The move was initially stopped for offside, but after VAR intervention the decision was overturned and the goal was allowed to stand.
After the reactions that followed, Pro Ref admitted that the final assessment had been wrong. According to the official version, the issue was not related to Haaland’s position, but to the way another player’s impact on the move was interpreted.
Where the key point of debate lies
The dispute centres on Enzo Fernández’s position during the move. After Patrick Dorgu’s deflection of Josko Gvardiol’s cross, Fernández was close to Lisandro Martínez, while VAR judged that he had no impact on play.
Pro Ref later acknowledged that this was an error of judgment. According to the body, the possible impact of Fernández’s position was not properly identified by the video review system.
What Pro Ref says about VAR’s role
In its official statement, Pro Ref clarified that Haaland was in an onside position, but stressed that VAR should have analysed Fernández’s impact on the move more accurately.
According to the same explanation, the on-field referee should have been invited to review the incident on the monitor, which did not happen. This turns the issue from a technical episode into a broader credibility problem over how VAR is used in high-stakes matches.
United contacted, debate returns
Pro Ref said it has contacted Manchester United to acknowledge the mistake and that it will launch an investigation into the incident.
Meanwhile, the episode has reignited criticism of refereeing standards in the Premier League. Haaland’s goal proved decisive in Manchester City’s win, making the discussion over the real impact that wrong VAR decisions can have on the result even more sensitive.
The admission of the error does not change the result of the match, but it once again exposes the gap between technology that promises accuracy and its implementation on the pitch.
For a league that sells itself as the highest standard of football, this episode leaves behind more questions than clarity.