The Premier League have confessed to a “significant” VAR error in the process that led to allowing Erling Haaland’s winning goal in the Manchester derby to stand.
Ruled out on-field for an offside call against Haaland, a VAR review confirmed the Manchester City striker was actually onside and then focused its attention on teammate Enzo Fernández, who was clearly in an offside position and made an obvious, albeit unsuccessful, attempt to play the ball.
It was ultimately decided not to focus on Fernández’s impact and the goal was given, much to the frustration of Manchester United manager Michael Carrick and defender Lisandro Martínez, who argued the only reason Haaland was free in the box was because he had been dragged away to deal with Fernández.
Ahead of a meeting between Premier League officials and representatives of all 20 clubs, the league sent a letter which, according to The Times, acknowledged a huge mistake had been made.
“Despite a positive start, early season officiating performance has been overshadowed by a significant VAR error in the Manchester United vs. Manchester City match on Sunday, Sept. 13,” the letter reads.
“The VAR did not recognize an offside offense by Enzo Fernández and incorrectly overturned the original decision of offside to allow the goal to stand. Pro Ref are undertaking a full review of the incident, which will be reviewed by the Premier League, with learnings being adopted immediately.”
What Happens Next After VAR Admission?
United may appreciate the Premier League’s refusal to shy away from the mistake, but the harsh reality for the Red Devils is that nothing will change in relation to this match, which will forever be remembered for its controversial winner.
The biggest changes are likely to come behind the scenes involving the VAR process during matches.
As far as previous examples of this go, there are not many to choose from as mistakes rarely involve clear misinterpretations of the rules. Perhaps the most comparable came in September 2023, when Liverpool saw a goal incorrectly ruled out in a 2–1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.
Luis Díaz was incorrectly flagged for offside after scoring and a VAR check identified the Colombia international was, in fact, onside. However, a breakdown in communication left the VAR official believing the goal had initially been allowed and so, when they confirmed they did not believe a change to the decision was needed, Díaz’s goal was mistakenly ruled out.
That error brought in major process changes, with VAR officials all instructed to specifically confirm the final verdict of their reviews amid further changes to communication guidelines.
A “critical lapse in concentration” was blamed for the Díaz error. This time around, Pro Ref chief Howard Webb argued “tunnel vision” was to blame for the VAR’s decision not to investigate Fernández’s impact on the play, with the VAR assistants not doing enough to draw attention elsewhere.
Similar communication changes are to be expected in response to this latest incident.
