📅 September 14, 2026

Pro Ref Admits VAR Error, Apologizes to United Over Haaland’s Derby Winner

By Mav Jones · Manchester United fan writer

Pro Ref comes out and admits it

Less than a day after Erling Haaland’s goal beat us at Old Trafford, Pro Ref (the body most of us still call PGMOL) came out and admitted it got the derby-deciding call wrong. In a statement on Sunday evening, they confirmed the on-field call was offside, VAR checked it, and found Haaland himself onside, which is fine as far as it goes. The real issue was Enzo Fernandez, stood right in front of Senne Lammens as the ball ran across the box. Pro Ref’s own words: “In the same attack, it was established that Enzo Fernandez did not play the ball and therefore that makes any offside offence subjective, however, on this occasion, the VAR did not recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review.”

They went further than just explaining the mistake. A spokesman said: “Contact has been made with Manchester United this evening to acknowledge what we deem is an error of judgement. A review of the incident will take place.” That’s about as direct an apology as this lot ever hand out. VAR on the day was Matt Donohue, with Blake Antrobus assisting him, and there’s no word yet on either being stood down for the next round of games.

Carrick: “That decision, that wasn’t on us”

Michael Carrick had already said his piece before Pro Ref’s statement landed, and by most accounts he wasn’t fully briefed on how badly the process had broken down until after his press conference had wrapped up. What he did say stands up fine on its own. Asked to explain the goal, he said: “Not even confused. We put things in place in the game now to help referees, how many screens, how many people. It’s more worrying if that’s the interpretation of the game of football. If that’s the definition of not interfering with play with our defender next to him within an inch of the ball, it’s staggering.”

He was careful to draw a line for his players too. “It’s a major impact on the game, and it was a massive game, but there’s a long season ahead. We’ve got to get back to winning football matches. That’s on us, but that decision, that wasn’t on us.”

Martinez calls it “an injustice”

Lisandro Martinez didn’t hold back either. “What I don’t understand is: with so many cameras here, in the best league in the world, with so many people watching, leaving it in the hands of five or six people sitting there who keep making these decisions is unbelievable,” he said. “It affects you, it takes three points away from you, it hurts, you lose a derby, but it is what it is.” He called the goal itself an injustice, and it’s hard to argue he’s wrong. This is exactly the kind of call the whole VAR system was built to catch.

Where this leaves us

None of it changes the scoreline. City still won 1-0, we’re still on four points from four games, and an apology doesn’t hand back the two points we lost with a man advantage for most of the second half. But it’s now on record, officially, that the only goal of the 199th Manchester derby shouldn’t have stood. Small comfort with Brighton coming to Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, but it’s something to point to the next time someone tells you to stop moaning about the officials.