Premier League Refs Apologize to Man United Over Haaland VAR Error — SkimNews
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- Pro Ref, the Premier League referees' body, admitted the VAR decision to award Erling Haaland's winning goal in Sunday's Manchester derby was an 'error' and apologized directly to Manchester United.
- Haaland scored in the 60th minute at Old Trafford from Josko Gvardiol's deflected cross, with the assistant referee initially flagging for offside before VAR Matthew Donohue and assistant VAR Blake Antrobus overruled, ruling that Enzo Fernández was not actively interfering with play.
- Manchester United manager Michael Carrick called the decision 'worrying,' while defender Lisandro Martínez — who challenged Fernández for the ball — labeled it an 'injustice.'
- Pro Ref acknowledged the VAR should have recommended an on-field review because it failed to recognize the likely impact of Fernández's position in the penalty area, and announced an internal review of the incident.
- The source characterizes this as likely the biggest VAR error since the system's introduction in 2019.
- The result leaves Manchester City tied with Arsenal as the only Premier League sides on maximum points from four games, while Manchester United sit 13th with one win, one draw, and two defeats.
Why it matters: A formal apology from the referees' body for a single goal decision is rare and signals the governing body itself views this as a system-level failure, not a borderline call — Pro Ref's promise of an internal review means officiating protocols for judging 'active' interference may be re-examined heading into the next round of fixtures, with United directly aggrieved at a result that leaves them 13th.
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