Official acknowledgment of refereeing error in Haaland's decisive goal in the Manchester derby
The controversy did not end with the final whistle of the Manchester derby, as Erling Haaland’s goal, which secured a victory for Manchester City over their rivals Manchester United, became the focal point of an official referee acknowledgment that an error had been made in handling the decisive incident.
The body responsible for Premier League referees admitted to an “error in judgment” during the goal scored by the Norwegian striker in the 60th minute, which led City to a 1-0 win over hosts United, despite the match being played with ten men for the visitors.
The referee initially disallowed the goal for offside, before the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened and recommended that it be awarded, a decision that sparked widespread protests from Manchester United players.
The home side’s objections centered on the presence of Manchester City midfielder Enzo Fernández in an offside position during the attack, arguing that he influenced the play despite not touching the ball before it reached Haaland, who finished it into the net.
The officiating authority clarified that the VAR “did not realize the potential influence” of Fernández’s position and that he should have referred the referee to the pitchside monitor to review the incident personally. It confirmed that it had contacted Manchester United and acknowledged an “error in judgment.”
Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez described the awarding of the goal as “unfair,” while manager Michael Carrick expressed surprise at the decision, stating he did not understand the basis on which the match officials evaluated the incident.
The refereeing controversy arose in a match that saw an early turning point, as Manchester City were reduced to ten men in the 23rd minute following Phil Foden’s dismissal for a kick on Bruno Fernandes. City players protested the decision, while manager Enzo Maresca demanded the United captain also be sent off in connection with the incident.
Despite being a man down, City managed to maintain their lead until the end, securing Enzo Maresca’s first victory in a Manchester derby since taking over from Spaniard Pep Guardiola at the end of last season.
Manchester City moved to 12 points from four consecutive wins, leveling with Arsenal at the top of the table. Maresca praised his players’ performance and fighting spirit, describing the victory with ten men in a derby as an exceptional achievement.
On an individual level, Haaland continued his brilliance against Manchester United, raising his tally in league derby encounters to nine goals in eight matches, surpassing Wayne Rooney and Sergio Agüero, who each have eight.
The Norwegian striker also increased his season total to six goals across all competitions.
