Pro Ref suspends two VAR officials over awarding Erling Haaland’s derby winner
The VAR officials responsible for controversially awarding Erling Haaland’s winning goal in the Manchester derby have been stood down after an admitted error of judgement.
The video assistant referee at the centre of the disputed goal that decided Sunday’s Manchester derby has been left out of the officiating roster for this coming weekend’s Premier League fixtures, following an admission from the sport’s governing refereeing body that a serious mistake was made in the handling of the incident.
The match official in question oversaw the review process that ultimately allowed Erling Haaland’s strike to stand, despite Manchester United’s protests that the build-up play involved a clear offside offence.
That call proved decisive, as Manchester City claimed the only goal of the contest at Old Trafford and maintained their unbeaten start to the campaign.
The refereeing body confirmed that his assistant on VAR duty that day has likewise been withdrawn from selection, with neither official expected to return to active duty until after the upcoming break for international fixtures.
The sanction arrived after the governing body privately acknowledged to United’s hierarchy that the goal ought to have been chalked off, explaining that the video official failed to properly weigh the influence of a teammate positioned in an offside stance during the passage of play that led to the finish.
That lapse should have triggered a pitch-side review rather than a remote confirmation of the goal.
The episode has reignited long-running frustrations over the consistency and accountability of video officiating in England’s top flight, particularly in fixtures of such magnitude, where marginal calls can carry significant consequences for a club’s title ambitions and public confidence in the process.
While the decision to step the pair back from fixtures offers a measure of accountability, questions remain over how such an error was allowed to occur, given the extensive technology and multiple camera angles now available to officials tasked with adjudicating the finest of margins in the modern game.
