VAR Missed Offside Call in Manchester Derby, Admits Pro Ref Chief

In a recent statement, Howard Webb, the chief of Pro Ref, admitted that VAR overlooked an offside call involving Enzo Fernandez during the Manchester derby, which allowed Erling Haaland's goal to stand. Initially, Haaland's goal was ruled offside, but after a VAR review, the decision was overturned, despite Fernandez being in an offside position and interfering with play.

Webb expressed disappointment over the decision, noting that while Haaland was confirmed to be onside, the VAR officials failed to adequately assess Fernandez's impact on the play. Fernandez's actions, including diving for the ball, hindered Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez and goalkeeper Senne Lammens, yet the VAR team did not consider this interference significant enough to warrant an offside call.

Following the incident, Webb stated that the officials involved are feeling the weight of the mistake and will not officiate until after the international break. Pro Ref has reached out to Manchester United to acknowledge the error and is conducting a review to understand the missteps in the VAR process.