Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has addressed the biggest controversy of the weekend after the Manchester United and Manchester City match.
Manchester City picked up a key win over Manchester United, despite Enzo Maresca’s men playing with 10 men for a large period of Sunday’s fixture.
United were handed an advantage over City after Phil Foden was sent off for his altercation with Red Devils skipper Bruno Fernandes in the first half at Old Trafford.
While Phil Foden’s red card was contentious for Man City supporters, United fans were left furious in the second half after VAR’s decision in the Manchester derby.
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Harry Maguire of Manchester United speaks with Referee Michael Oliver as they wait to reveal the VAR decision for the goal scored by Erling Haaland of Manchester City during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on September 13, 2026 in Manchester, England.
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
Dermot Gallagher explains that VAR lost sight of what was most important in Man City’s winner against Man Utd
Erling Haaland’s second-half opener proved to be the decisive winner for Manchester City at the weekend, despite plunging the entire Premier League tie into controversy.
VAR intervened and deemed that Enzo Fernandez had not interfered with play during his diving attempt before Erling Haaland netted from Josko Gvardiol’s cross.
Haaland was not ruled to be in an offside position after Patrick Dorgu’s boot had appeared to play the 26-year-old Norwegian forward onside in the second half.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch, Dermot Gallagher insisted that VAR was too focused on Enzo Fernandez rather than Senne Lammens’ reaction in the build-up.
“I think they were focussing on [whether] Fernandez headed the ball because you have the four bullet points and the second one is, does he touch the ball and he would then be interfering with play. He does not,” he said.
“But because they focussed so much on that, he clearly went to head the ball and Lammens is the first affected as he goes to save it and then is clearly off balance; Martinez is dragged away from Haaland as he has to go to him.
“In my view, the more palatable decision is offside because he has clearly impacted on two United players.”
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Dermot Gallagher makes his feelings clear on VAR after the controversy from the Man Utd and Man City match
Senne Lammens had already reacted to Enzo Fernandez’s actions before the Manchester United No 1 was left scrambling in his failed bid to deny Erling Haaland.
Gallagher insisted that VAR are never going to be right all of the time, despite agreeing that the decision should not have stood in the Premier League match.
“For whatever reason, they have lost focus; they were concentrating too much on whether Fernandez had touched the ball and [forgot] to see if he had impacted two United players,” he added.
“It is not about the law – anything with a human being is susceptible to error; VAR will never give you 100 per cent correct decisions.”
The Premier League refereeing body Pro Ref, which was rebranded from the PGMOL, issued a statement on Sunday and accepted that VAR made the wrong call in the tie.