According to multiple journalists, a spokesperson for Professional Game Match Officials (Pro Ref) stated that there was an error in awarding Erling Haaland's goal.
A spokesperson for the match officials organisation stated: “Regarding the incident that occurred in the 60th minute of Sunday's Premier League fixture between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford, we can provide clarification on Erling Haaland's awarded goal.”
“The on-field decision was that Haaland was offside – this decision was reviewed by VAR, which determined that he was in an onside position.”
“In the same attacking phase, it was confirmed that Enzo Fernández did not touch the ball, which made any offside offence subjective. However, in this circumstance, the VAR failed to recognise the potential impact of his positioning and should have recommended an on-field review.”
“Manchester United have been contacted this evening to acknowledge what we consider to be an error in judgment. The incident will be subject to a review.”
Haaland found the net in the 60th minute, with the assistant referee initially flagging for offside. VAR intervened and ruled that Haaland was not offside and that the offside Fernández did not touch the ball; referee Michael Oliver overturned the decision and awarded the goal without consulting the pitchside monitor.
Professional Game Match Officials (Pro Ref) is the body responsible for officiating across all Premier League, English Football League (EFL), Women's Super League (WSL), and Football Association (FA) competitions. Formerly known as Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMO), it rebranded in June 2026 and officially adopted its new name starting from the 2026–27 season.
