The Professional Referees Association (Pro Ref) admitted on Sunday that the decision to validate Erling Haaland's winning goal in Manchester City's 1-0 victory over Manchester United was a "judgment error". The citizen club was reduced to ten men after the red card of Phil Foden for kicking Bruno Fernandes.
Haaland scored at 60 minutes with a close-range shot after a cross by Josko Gvardiol. The goal was initially ruled out for Haaland's offside, but the video assistant referee (VAR) ended up reversing the decision.
The reason for the controversy is that Enzo Fernandez, City's midfielder, was in an offside position and tried to reach the ball before the Norwegian striker. Since Fernandez did not touch the ball, the goal was validated, allowing Haaland to celebrate his ninth goal in the championship in Manchester derbies.
The Premier League Match Centre website posted on social media after the goal, stating that VAR "determined that Haaland was in a legal position", although Pro Ref subsequently acknowledged the error in the decision.
