Haaland's Goal Should Have Been Disallowed in Derby, PGMOL Tells Man United

Staff Reporter | PNN

Manchester City eventually secured a 1-0 victory over Manchester United in the Manchester derby. However, controversy surrounding the only goal of the match has continued after England's refereeing body, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), acknowledged that the decision to allow Erling Haaland's goal was incorrect.

Haaland scored in the 59th minute of Sunday's match at Old Trafford. The Norwegian striker reached the far post and put the ball into the net from a cross delivered by Josko Gvardiol from the opposite side.

The assistant referee initially raised the flag for offside and disallowed the goal. However, following an extended VAR review, the on-field decision was overturned and the goal was allowed to stand.

The Premier League's initial match statement also said that the assistant referee had flagged Haaland for being in an offside position. Following a VAR review, it was determined that Haaland had been in a legal position, and the on-field referee was advised to award the goal.

However, only a few hours after the match ended, PGMOL, led by Howard Webb, provided a new interpretation of the incident.

The organisation said the position of Manchester United player Enzo Fernandez and whether his position constituted an interference had not been properly considered before the goal was allowed. As a result, VAR should have recommended that the on-field referee conduct a full review of the incident.

A PGMOL spokesperson said the on-field referee's initial decision was that Haaland was offside. A subsequent VAR review determined that the goalscorer had been in a legal position. However, the spokesperson said the potential impact of Fernandez's position on the Manchester United defence should also have been considered, even though he did not touch the ball.

According to PGMOL's explanation, because Fernandez did not touch the ball, the matter was not limited to the conventional calculation of offside. The question of whether his position and movement had an impact on the play was a matter for the referee to assess.

In this case, VAR failed to properly evaluate that potential impact, the organisation said.

PGMOL said VAR should have allowed the on-field referee to review the incident personally before making a final decision. According to the organisation, the incident required a more detailed review rather than simply allowing the goal to stand.

Acknowledging the incident as an error in judgement, PGMOL said it had already contacted Manchester United. The organisation said the incident would be reviewed and that it would also examine how similar mistakes could be prevented in future decisions.

The result of the match, however, will not change. Manchester City secured the victory through Haaland's goal. But following PGMOL's admission, the controversial goal in the Manchester derby has taken on a new dimension.