{"id":4573,"date":"2026-09-14T09:23:04","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T09:23:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/footballars.xyz\/?p=4573"},"modified":"2026-09-14T09:23:04","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T09:23:04","slug":"erling-haalands-goal-for-man-city-against-man-utd-was-a-mistake-but-why-did-it-happen-football-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/footballars.xyz\/?p=4573","title":{"rendered":"Erling Haaland’s goal for Man City against Man Utd was a mistake- but why did it happen? | Football News"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Erling Haaland’s winning goal in Sunday’s Manchester derby came in controversial circumstances – and there are still a number of questions left unanswered.<\/p>\n

The striker’s goal was initially disallowed for offside on the pitch before VAR overturned the decision.<\/p>\n

The VAR officials deemed that Haaland was played onside by Manchester United defender Patrick Dorgu. However, Manchester City’s Enzo Fernandez was in an offside position as he attempted to play the ball before it reached Haaland.<\/p>\n

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Gary Neville slams VAR’s decision to give Erling Haaland’s goal in the Manchester derby.<\/span>
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Here, we look at some of the key questions surrounding the incident…<\/p>\n

Have Pro Ref explained why the goal was awarded?<\/h3>\n

Pro Ref – the Professional Game Referees formerly known as the PGMOL or PGMO – confirmed on Sunday night that an error was made when City’s winning goal was awarded.<\/p>\n

While acknowledging “an error of judgement”, their statement only offered a partial explanation for why the goal was mistakenly awarded.<\/p>\n

Having admitted the goal should have remained ruled out because Fernandez was offside, the statement declared: “On this occasion, the VAR did not recognise the likely impact of his position.”<\/p>\n

But the overarching question of why <\/em>the VAR failed to appreciate that a player six yards from goal, making a diving header for a ball between two opponents, was not judged to have either impacted play or potentially impacted play remains unanswered.<\/p>\n

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Michael Carrick, Lisandro Martinez and Erling Haaland react to Manchester City’s controversial winner against Manchester United.<\/span>
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Could the mistake have happened because the VAR was focused on whether Fernandez played the ball?<\/h3>\n

This, currently, appears to be the most logical explanation.<\/p>\n

In their mid-game post on X<\/em> explaining the decision, Match Centre wrote: “The VAR also deemed that while in an offside position, Fernandez didn’t play the ball.”<\/p>\n

During Sky Sports’<\/em> match coverage, replays were also shown of the VAR team apparently scrutinising whether or not Fernandez touched the ball as it flew across the six-yard box.<\/p>\n

So was it the case that the VAR became distracted by fixating on a technicality that didn’t actually matter given the offside rule clearly stipulates that a player can be offside regardless of whether or not he touches the ball?<\/p>\n

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FREE TO WATCH: Highlights from Manchester United\u2019s match against Manchester City in the Premier League.<\/span>
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Why did the Pro Ref statement say the goal should have been sent for an on-field review?<\/h3>\n

According to Pro Ref, the initial offside decision was made against Erling Haaland. He, though, was <\/em>onside.<\/p>\n

The review then moved on to Fernandez, who was correctly deemed to be in an offside position by the VAR team.<\/p>\n

The problem was that they then apparently, and incorrectly, focused entirely on whether he touched the ball.<\/p>\n

What the VAR couldn’t do, however, was confirm the goal was rightly ruled out – for the Fernandez offside – for the wrong reason – the Haaland offside.<\/p>\n

Hence Pro Ref’s assertion that the VAR ought to have requested referee Michael Oliver make an on-field review in which Oliver would have been asked to make a subjective decision on whether Fernandez impacted play.<\/p>\n

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VAR drama as Erling Haaland fires Man City ahead!<\/span>
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Was Lammens also impacted by Fernandez?<\/h3>\n

Yes. Replays of Haaland’s goal also show that the Manchester United goalkeeper made an initial reaction to Fernandez, raising his arms in anticipation of a header and putting him off balance for when Haaland struck the ball.<\/p>\n

But Martinez had already been impacted by Fernandez’s position, so the goal should have been disallowed regardless of whether Lammens was distracted by Fernandez’s attempt to play the ball.<\/p>\n

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Was the on-field decision wrong?<\/h3>\n

Yes and no – the yes because the offside was given against an onside player, the no because the goal should have been ruled out for offside.<\/p>\n

So the VAR couldn’t have definitively ruled out the goal?<\/h3>\n

No. Because the on-field decision was against Haaland, the only course of action, if the process was followed to the letter, was to ask the referee to make an on-field review.<\/p>\n

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Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez to Sky Sports:<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n

“I think [Fernandez] was offside. What I can\u2019t understand is the rules.\n<\/p>\n

“He was there! I went to him because he was in front of me. That\u2019s why Haaland was free at the back.\n<\/p>\n

“I want to be calm but it is so hard.\n<\/p>\n

“Five or six people (officials) doing this kind of mistake in the Premier League is unacceptable.\n<\/p>\n

“We have to go home with this injustice.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Who was the VAR?<\/h3>\n

Sunday’s VAR was Matt Donohue.<\/p>\n

While Donohue has only ever refereed four Premier League games, he has substantial experience as a VAR. In 2025\/26, he was the VAR for 24 Premier League matches and six as Assistant VAR.<\/p>\n

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Who were the match officials at Old Trafford?<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n