Overview
- The Manchester derby decision that awarded Erling Haaland’s winner after an initial on-field offside flag was the result of a VAR review that failed to spot Enzo Fernández’s offside interference during the full attacking possession phase on Sunday.
- Howard Webb, Pro Ref’s chief refereeing officer, called the error “tunnel vision,” saying the VAR team became overfocused on whether Haaland was onside after semi‑automated tracking showed him 3cm onside.
- Pro Ref has shared the VAR room audio and video with Manchester United and the public, and has stood down VAR Matt Donohue and assistant Blake Antrobus from appointments until after the international break.
- The organisation has opened a formal review to identify procedural fixes, focusing on how human reviewers apply semi‑automated offside data and how teams assess non‑touch interference.
- The episode has renewed debate over VAR’s reliability and governance, raised pressure for clearer processes around the attacking possession phase, and left officials and clubs awaiting specific changes from Pro Ref’s review.