What’s the VAR mistake controversy in Haaland’s Man City goal vs United?

The day after the Premier League’s Manchester derby, one of the biggest games in club football, the conversation is not dominated by the teams’ performances or players’ individual brilliance but by a controversial refereeing decision that allowed a seemingly offside goal to be overturned.

Erling Haaland’s controversially awarded goal for Manchester United in Sunday’s derby at Manchester United bagged his team three vital points and, more importantly, bragging rights over their rivals.

The result left thousands in the red half of Manchester feeling cheated and the plot thickened later in the day when the refereeing body revealed that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) made the wrong call.

The 2026-27 Premier League season has barely completed its first month, but it is not wonder goals or last-minute saves making the headlines. Instead, VAR is the most hotly contested debate among fans, experts and managers who feel hard done by the use of technology.

Current and former United players, including club legend Wayne Rooney, labelled the use of VAR “horrendous”, while football experts told Al Jazeera the technology has become “far too dominant” in decision-making.

So how did we get here and what’s the fuss about VAR in the modern game? Al Jazeera Sport breaks it down:

What is VAR and how does it work?

VAR is a refereeing support tool designed to enable the checking, reviewing and correction of clear and obvious errors during a match, according to FIFA.

Football’s global governing body introduced the technology that is now used in over 300 competitions worldwide.

It was intended to be a combination of human expertise and technological accuracy, but has instead become a sour topic in football circles.

A dedicated team of video match officials (VARs) review decisions made by the on-field referee and speak directly with the match official via an audio communication system before a conclusion is reached.

First used in 2018-19, the VAR technology relies on video replays and reviews decisions related to four categories: goals, penalty decisions, direct red card incidents and mistaken identity.

What was the VAR controversy in the Manchester derby?

During the season’s first Manchester derby at Old Trafford, with City down to 10 players, striker Haaland scored in the 60th minute, slotting home at the back post from Josko Gvardiol’s cross.

The linesman initially disallowed the goal, suggesting Haaland was offside, but VAR overturned that decision, which caused controversy and left United fans furious.

While Haaland was played onside by Patrick Dorgu’s boot, his City teammate Enzo Fernandez, who dived to try to head the ball before Haaland, was in an offside position.

Replays showed Fernandez did not touch the ball, so the goal was given and it eventually proved to be the game-changer.

What was VAR’s explanation?

Premier League Match Centre posted on X after the goal to say the VAR “determined that Haaland was in an onside position” and “deemed that while in an offside position, Fernandez didn’t play the ball”.

Did Pro Ref admit the VAR mistake?

The refereeing body, Professional Game Referees (Pro Ref), admitted that the decision to allow Haaland’s goal was an “error of judgment”.

It said that VAR “did not recognise the likely impact” of Haaland’s teammate Fernandez, who attempted to head the ball from an offside position.

“The on-field decision was offside against Erling Haaland – that was checked by VAR and he was found to be in an onside position,” the statement said.

“In the same attack, it was established that Enzo Fernandez did not play the ball and therefore that makes any offside offence subjective. However, on this occasion, the VAR did not recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review.

“Contact has been made with Manchester United this evening to acknowledge what we deem is an error of judgment. A review of the incident will take place.”

Will football leagues stop using VAR?

Despite the wide-ranging criticism and repetitive errors, the use of technology is here to stay.

Al Jazeera has sought confirmation that VAR will continue to be used across all Premier League fixtures for the ongoing season and understands there will be no change.

What do the experts have to say?

Former United forward Rooney, who played for the Reds between 2004 and 2017, said the goal was “surely offside”, adding that Martinez was impacted by Fernandez’s movement.

“I am so sick of VAR,” Rooney said on the BBC’s Match Of The Day.

“It is horrendous; it takes all the emotion out of the game and to not see it… anyone who has played the game recognises he is offside. To get it so wrong is baffling.”

Gary Neville, former United captain who is a TV pundit for Sky Sports, said he expects a “massive inquest into the goal, which I think was wrongly given”. He added the decision left him so confused that he “needed the offside rule explained” to him.

Meanwhile, others have called for a “balance” in the use of VAR.

“VAR has become far too dominant in decision-making; the referee should be the primary decision-maker and should decide when he needs assistance with a call,” football presenter Joe Morrison told Al Jazeera.

He called for an increased use of pitch-side monitors by referees.

“He [referee] is out there in the middle, he is in the ‘zone’ and understands the context of what is happening around him instead of someone sitting remotely in a room in Stockley Park, West London,” said Morrison.

Should referees be held accountable for VAR errors?

Football expert Morrison thinks the best way of making VAR and referees more accountable for their controversial or incorrect calls is to make their decisions public.

“Both live on the field of play like rugby, and post-match. I would even start a post-match debrief with journalists as a matter of course,” he added.

How did Manchester United react?

Manchester United boss Michael Carrick was angry and baffled by the decision.

“I just don’t get it, I really don’t get it. I can’t understand how we’re trying to help referees, putting so many layers behind them, so many people, bodies and screens, and they can’t make the right decision,” Carrick told a post-match media conference.

Lisandro Martinez, the United defender at the centre of the controversy, said he was clearly impacted by the presence of his international teammate Fernandez and branded the goal an “injustice”.

“I went to him because he was in front of me. That’s why Haaland was free at the back,” Martinez told Sky Sports. “Five or six people [officials] doing this kind of mistake in the Premier League is unacceptable.

“We have to go home with this injustice.”

Has VAR caused more drama this season?

Yes. In the same match week, Arsenal conceded a penalty early in the second half of their 2-0 win over Sunderland after Ezri Konsa was penalised for wrestling Dan Ballard to the floor in the box.

Referee John Brooks awarded a penalty and the decision was checked and confirmed by VAR.

Although goalkeeper Raya went on to save Enzo Le Fee’s spot-kick, Arsenal boss Arteta was furious as pictures showed Ballard was also pulling Konsa as the pair fell to the ground inside the box. On Monday morning, British media reported Arsenal will contact Pro Ref over the incident.

“We have to go through what was done today that, in my opinion, is not acceptable,” said Arteta. “I watched it 20 times, and I cannot find a way to understand how they think to give a penalty in that situation or the way the VAR has not intervened.”

Earlier, questions were raised about VAR’s decision to allow Harry Maguire’s goal to stand in Man United’s 5-2 thrashing of Ipswich Town despite the ball coming off his arm, while manager Oliver Glasner said VAR should not have intervened to rule out a potentially match-winning goal from Neco Williams in Nottingham Forest’s 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

What do fans think of VAR?

When the Premier League introduced VAR in the 2019-2020 season, it said the reason was to curb mistakes that can change the outcome of a match, but seven years later, more than 75 percent of fans do not support the continued use of VAR, a survey by a football supporters group found in March.

The survey saw almost 8,000 fans of top-flight clubs participate and results showed that 75.7 percent did not support the use of VAR in football, with 91.7 percent saying VAR had removed the spontaneous joy of goal celebrations.