The Premier League’s refereeing body has admitted that an error was made in allowing Erling Haaland’s winning goal to stand during Manchester City’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Sunday’s Manchester derby.
The controversial goal, scored at Old Trafford, has sparked fresh questions over the use of VAR after the video assistant referee overturned an initial offside decision and allowed City to take the lead.
Haaland eventually scored the only goal of the encounter as Manchester City secured all three points against their city rivals. 
However, the refereeing body, ProRef, later acknowledged that the VAR team made an error in its assessment of the incident.
The controversy centred on City midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who was in an offside position during the build-up to Haaland’s goal.
Although Fernandez did not make contact with the ball, his position and movement were considered potentially relevant because of his interaction with Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez.
The assistant referee had initially raised his flag for offside, but VAR intervened and determined that Haaland was onside when he received the ball.
The on-field decision was subsequently overturned, allowing the goal to stand.
Following a review, however, ProRef admitted that VAR had failed to properly consider whether Fernandez had interfered with Martinez in the build-up.
According to the refereeing body, the VAR team should have advised referee Michael Oliver to review the incident on the pitch before reaching a final decision.
ProRef described the incident as an “error of judgement” and said Manchester United had been informed of the mistake.
The admission is likely to fuel further debate over VAR and the consistency of Premier League officiating, particularly when decisions have a direct impact on the outcome of high-profile matches.
Manchester City, however, will retain their 1-0 victory despite the refereeing admission.
Under Premier League rules, a match result is not overturned because of a subsequent admission that a refereeing or VAR decision was incorrect.
The defeat leaves Manchester United to rue another controversial moment in a derby that City ultimately won through Haaland’s decisive strike.
The latest development also puts renewed focus on the responsibilities of VAR officials, particularly in situations involving an offside player who may not touch the ball but could still influence an opponent’s ability to defend the play.
