VAR official admits error in allowing Erling Haaland's goal during Manchester derby
Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) confirmed that Erling Haaland’s goal in Manchester City’s 1-0 win over Manchester United should have been disallowed. The decision was reviewed by VAR Matt Donohue, who incorrectly allowed the goal to stand despite an offside position involving Enzo Fernández.
During the recent Manchester derby, a significant officiating error occurred regarding Erling Haaland’s decisive goal in Manchester City’s 1-0 victory. Following the match, the officiating body, Pro Ref, confirmed that video assistant referee (VAR) Matt Donohue made a mistake by allowing the goal to stand. The controversy centers on the positioning of Enzo Fernández, who was ruled to be in an offside position during the play.
The standard protocol for VAR reviews requires officials to trace the sequence of events backward from the moment a goal is scored. In this instance, the assistant referee initially raised their flag for offside. The VAR then performed an automatic check of that on-field decision. According to the report, the error occurred during this review process, leading to the goal being incorrectly validated. While the match result stands, the admission highlights a breakdown in the application of offside rules during the high-stakes fixture. The outcome has sparked discussion regarding the consistency and accuracy of VAR interventions in Premier League officiating.
📡 Media Analysis
How each outlet framed the story — angles, word choices, and what they chose to push or ignore.
Focused on the technical failure of the officiating process and the personal burden on the referee.
"disappointing outcome"
✓ Only outlet to report: The specific detail that the VAR official, Matt Donohue, was the individual who made the error.
⚡ Where Sources Disagree
- ·Whether the goal should have stood (PGMOL confirms it should not have, despite the initial on-field decision being overruled).
🔍 What Nobody's Reporting
- ·Lack of comment from Manchester City or Manchester United representatives regarding the impact of the error on the match outcome.
- ·No explanation of why the VAR review process failed to identify the offside position correctly in real-time.
📰 Sources
0 A-rated source(s) among 1 total. Lowest trust: The Guardian (B)