Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images
Manchester United paid a heavy price for one of the worst officiating decisions in the Premier League so far this season.
The 2026/27 season is underway, and Manchester United are sitting 12th in the Premier League table after five matches. This has led to Michael Carrick facing mounting pressure for the first time since being appointed head coach, following a successful interim stint.
One of the worst results this season came in the Manchester derby, with Enzo Maresca’s side coming to Old Trafford and winning 1-0, courtesy of an offside goal that shouldn’t have stood.
Pro Ref apologised to United for allowing Erling Haaland’s winner at Old Trafford, with Carrick acknowledging that it isn’t enough to change the outcome of the decision or the match.
Haaland’s goal will remain a talking point if it contributes to a title triumph or the Norwegian striker’s quest to win the golden boot again. It proves there are still big problems with VAR and those put in charge to get the most out of the technology.
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Key Match Incidents Panel reflect on Erling Haaland’s winner in Manchester Derby
Carrick cannot dwell on Haaland’s controversial winner in the derby because United need to get back to winning ways. The longer this miserable run – two wins in seven matches across all competitions – drags on, the more challenging it becomes to secure Champions League qualification for the second season running.
That is why it doesn’t help that the goal remains a huge story, with the Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel now providing an independent assessment of the incorrect decision.
Perhaps the biggest incident for KMI to tackle so far this season was Haaland’s goal because new Man City signing Enzo Fernandez was in an offside position. None of the panel members voted in favour of the goal standing, with all five stating there was wrongdoing.
A statement from the KMI Panel reads: “The panel unanimously felt that the VAR intervention to award the goal was incorrect. Fernandez is in an offside position, attempts to play the ball that is close to him, and impacts the ability of the defenders and the goalkeepers to play the ball in the process. A VAR review should have been recommended for a missed subjective offside in the attacking possession phase.”
Although the admission of wrongdoing must be appreciated – as it would be worse if they completely ignored the mistakes made by their officials – there is nothing to suggest they are working on ways to ensure it doesn’t happen again.
In fact, we know it will happen again. It’s just a question of whether it happens to us again, an opponent or in another Premier League fixture. VAR has too often been the centre of controversy.