Howard Webb, the chief of Pro Ref, expressed disappointment regarding the decision to allow Erling Haaland's goal against Manchester United during the Manchester derby held at Old Trafford on September 16, 2026. Webb stated that 'tunnel vision' led the video assistant referee (VAR) officials to incorrectly award the goal.
Initially, Haaland's second-half strike was ruled out for offside, but after a VAR review, it was determined that the Manchester City forward was onside. Pro Ref later acknowledged that the goal should not have been awarded due to a failure to properly assess the involvement of teammate Enzo Fernandez, who attempted to play the ball from an offside position.
'I was really disappointed with this outcome. We all are. None more so than the officials themselves,' Webb said during an appearance on Match Officials Mic’d Up on Sky Sports and TNT Sports. 'They take a lot of personal pride in what they do, and they’re obviously hurting now having fallen short in this situation.'
VAR, designed to check, review, and correct clear and obvious errors during matches, has become a contentious issue in football. Current and former Manchester United players, including Wayne Rooney, have criticized the use of VAR as 'horrendous,' while football experts have noted that the technology has become 'far too dominant' in decision-making.
Webb confirmed that VAR officials Matt Donohue and assistant VAR Blake Antrobus would not officiate again until after the international break. 'We’ve reached out to Manchester United and acknowledged the error, as we do when these things happen,' Webb stated.
He explained that the semi-automated offside system quickly established that Haaland was onside, but the VAR became overly focused on the striker’s position and failed to fully consider Fernandez’s influence on the play. 'But of course, when he then runs it back through the full APP, he doesn’t truly evaluate the full impact of Fernandez’s position,' Webb said. 'He has a look to see if he touches the ball, because then that relates to potentially knocking it to Haaland, who goes on to score. He doesn’t touch the ball, but he doesn’t truly evaluate other elements of offside. In that moment, he gets tunnel vision.'
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick criticized the decision following his team’s 1-0 home defeat, marking their second loss in four Premier League matches this season. United is set to host Brighton in the League Cup on Wednesday before traveling to Fulham in the Premier League on Sunday.