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The Premier League has admitted to a "significant" VAR error in the sequence of events that resulted in Erling Haaland's match-winning goal in the Manchester derby being allowed to stand.
Initially disallowed on the pitch for an offside call against Haaland, a VAR review determined the Manchester City forward was actually onside before shifting its focus to teammate Enzo Fernández, who was visibly in an offside position and made an obvious, though unsuccessful, attempt to play the ball.
Officials ultimately chose not to consider Fernández's involvement and awarded the goal, drawing the ire of Manchester United manager Michael Carrick and defender Lisandro Martínez, who contended that Haaland was only free in the penalty area because he had been pulled away to deal with Fernández.
Prior to a meeting between Premier League officials and representatives from all 20 clubs, the league distributed a letter which, according to The Times, acknowledged that a major error had occurred.
"Despite a positive start, early season officiating performance has been overshadowed by a significant VAR error in the Manchester United vs. Manchester City match on Sunday, Sept. 13," the letter reads.
"The VAR did not recognize an offside offense by Enzo Fernández and incorrectly overturned the original decision of offside to allow the goal to stand. Pro Ref are undertaking a full review of the incident, which will be reviewed by the Premier League, with learnings being adopted immediately."
What Happens Next After VAR Admission?
United may welcome the Premier League's willingness to openly acknowledge the mistake, but the difficult reality for the Red Devils is that nothing will change regarding this fixture, which will forever be defined by its contentious winning goal.
The most significant changes are expected to take place behind the scenes within the VAR review process during matches.
Looking at past precedents, there are few comparable cases, as errors rarely involve clear misinterpretations of the rulebook. Perhaps the closest parallel came in September 2023, when Liverpool had a goal wrongly disallowed in a 2–1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur.
Luis Díaz was incorrectly flagged for offside after finding the net, and a VAR check confirmed the Colombian winger was actually onside. However, a communication breakdown led the VAR official to believe the goal had originally been given, and when they confirmed no change to the decision was required, Díaz's goal was mistakenly ruled out.
That blunder prompted sweeping procedural changes, with VAR officials instructed to explicitly confirm the final outcome of their reviews alongside further revisions to communication protocols.
A "critical lapse in concentration" was cited as the cause of the Díaz error. On this occasion, Pro Ref chief Howard Webb attributed "tunnel vision" as the reason the VAR failed to examine Fernández's influence on the play, with VAR assistants not doing enough to redirect attention to the issue.
Similar communication adjustments are anticipated in response to this latest controversy.