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Manchester City edge United in a stormy derby as officials reportedly acknowledge a mistake, deepening questions over VAR’s consistency.
The first Manchester derby of the 2026-27 Premier League season ended in a 1-0 win for Manchester City, but the main talking point was not Erling Haaland’s finishing. It was the decision that allowed his goal to count.
With the match level in the second half, Joško Gvardiol delivered a cross from the left. Haaland converted at the back post. The assistant referee raised the flag for offside, and the goal was initially disallowed. A VAR review followed, and the decision was overturned.
The Premier League Match Centre explained the ruling: “VAR checked the referee’s call of no goal for offside and determined that Haaland was in an onside position and recommended that the goal be awarded. The VAR also deemed that while in an offside position, Fernandez didn’t play the ball.”
The ruling hinged on Enzo Fernández. The Argentine midfielder was in an offside position and attempted a diving header. He did not touch the ball, but United defenders argued his action influenced their positioning, particularly Lisandro Martínez.
Martínez did not hide his anger. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “I think it was offside. And what I can’t understand is the rules. He was there; I went to him. He was there, in front of me. So that’s why Haaland was free at the back.”
He also questioned the wider standard of officiating. “Every season they come to our club, they explain for one hour, one hour and a half the rules, and they look so confident with that, and then after five, six people make these kinds of mistakes in the Premier League. It’s unacceptable.”
He added: “Because it’s the best league in the world, you have the best teams in the world, the best players in the world, and now we have to go home with this injustice.”
Later reports suggested Pro Ref, the body responsible for Premier League referees, acknowledged that the VAR process had been flawed and contacted United to admit a misjudgment. If confirmed, such a public admission would be highly unusual and would add further pressure on officials.
United manager Michael Carrick also weighed in. He said he could not understand how Fernández could be considered not to have interfered when he made a diving attempt close to goal and forced Martínez to react. “If that is how the rule is being interpreted, it is very worrying,” he said.
Pundits joined the criticism. Gary Neville said he was “completely confused” by the offside rule. Wayne Rooney called VAR “awful” and said it had drained emotion from the game. Roy Keane backed Martínez, arguing that Fernández’s presence and movement were enough to distract a defender.
The controversy centres on the most subjective part of the offside law: when does a player in an offside position become involved in active play? Fernández did not touch the ball, so the question was whether he impacted Martínez’s ability to defend. For United, the answer was obvious. For VAR, it was not.
The match itself was already heated. City played with ten men for more than an hour after Phil Foden was sent off following an incident with Bruno Fernandes. Despite the numerical disadvantage, Pep Guardiola’s side defended their lead and took all three points. United hit the woodwork through Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo but could not equalise.
The result leaves City with a perfect start to the season, level on 12 points with Arsenal at the top. United, meanwhile, are left to rue not only a derby defeat but a decision that may be remembered long after the final whistle.
For the Premier League, the bigger issue is trust. VAR was introduced to reduce clear errors, yet high-profile matches continue to produce decisions that divide players, managers and fans. The Haaland goal will not be the last such debate, but it may become one of the most cited examples of why the system still struggles when judgement, not technology, is the deciding factor.
Source; Yen.com.gh
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