BREAKING: PGMOL Admits VAR ‘Error of Judgement’ in Haaland’s Winning Goal Against Manchester United
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has formally acknowledged an “error of judgement” regarding the decision to allow Erling Haaland’s 60th-minute winning goal in Manchester City’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
What Happened?
Initial Decision: The assistant referee on the pitch originally flagged Erling Haaland for offside.
VAR Overturn: Video technology confirmed that Haaland was played onside before putting the ball past the keeper.
The Oversight: In the build-up, Enzo Fernández did not touch the ball, making any potential offside call a subjective decision based on whether his positioning impacted defender play.
The Error: The VAR official failed to evaluate Fernández’s potential impact on the move and neglected to recommend an on-field review on the pitch monitor.
Key Points from the PGMOL Statement
The on-field decision was offside against Erling Haaland – that was checked by VAR and he was found to be in an onside position. In the same attack, it was established that Enzo Fernández did not play the ball and therefore that makes any offside offence subjective, however, on this occasion, the VAR did not recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review.
Contact has been made with Manchester United this evening to acknowledge what we deem is an error of judgement. A review of the incident will take place.”
Impact on the Manchester Derby
The admission adds a major post-match twist to a highly contested derby. Despite playing with 10 men for over an hour after Phil Foden was sent off in the 23rd minute, Manchester City secured all three points at Old Trafford courtesy of Haaland’s controversial strike.
PGMOL has confirmed a full internal review will take place following the incident.
