Erling Haaland’s winning goal for Man City against Man Utd left fans and pundits arguing for days over VAR and now referees’ chief Howard Webb has come out to explain what happened.
What Happened With the Goal
Haaland scored the only goal of the derby, but the goal was first ruled out for offside. When checking by VAR Haaland was found onside, so the goal was given. The trouble lies where Enzo Fernandez was in an offside spot too but VAR missed it.
Why VAR Missed the Offside
Fernandez never touched the ball. But as it came into the box, he dived forward trying to reach it. That dive got in the way of Man Utd’s Lisandro Martinez and goalkeeper Senne Lammens, so they couldn’t react properly. Even without a touch, the rules still count that as interfering with play.
Howard Webb said the VAR, Matt Donohue, got “tunnel vision” while checking the goal. Donohue was so focused on Haaland’s offside call that he didn’t fully check Fernandez’s role in the build-up.
Webb’s Explanation in Simple Terms
Webb said Donohue only checked if Fernandez touched the ball, since that link would connect straight to Haaland’s goal. Once he saw no touch, he moved on, without checking if Fernandez blocked or distracted the Man Utd defenders. Webb said this was where the mistake happened, and normally the rest of the VAR team should have caught it and pulled Donohue back.
What Happens Next
Both Donohue and his assistant, Blake Antrobus, have been stood down from Premier League matches this weekend. Webb admitted he was disappointed with how the check was handled, and Pro Ref will now review how VAR checks are carried out during offside decisions like this one.
The Bigger Picture
City still won the derby 1-0, playing over an hour with 10 men after Phil Foden was sent off. But it’s the VAR mistake, not the scoreline, that has kept fans and pundits talking, with some even calling for changes to how VAR checks offside calls in matches like this.
