Manchester City won the derby. The result will stand. The three points won’t be coming back. And Manchester United are left with an apology.
If ever there was a moment to sum up football’s increasingly complicated relationship with VAR, Sunday’s Manchester derby might just be it.
Erling Haaland’s second-half goal gave 10-man Manchester City a 1–0 victory at Old Trafford. The goal was initially ruled out for offside against Haaland, only for VAR to intervene and establish that the striker himself was onside.
So far, so straightforward.
Except there was another rather important detail.
Enzo Fernandez was standing in an offside position and made an obvious attempt to reach the ball before it arrived at Haaland. He didn’t make contact — but Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez had to react to his presence.
VAR decided Fernandez had not committed an offside offence and the goal was awarded.
Hours later, the refereeing body effectively admitted VAR hadn’t dealt with the situation properly.
Pro Ref said VAR had failed to recognise the likely impact of Fernandez’s position and should have recommended an on-field review. Manchester United were subsequently contacted and the incident will now be reviewed.
And that’s where this becomes a mess.
What Exactly Is VAR For?
Football supporters accept that referees will make mistakes.
The game happens at extraordinary speed. Officials have one view and sometimes have a fraction of a second to make a judgement.
That’s precisely why VAR was introduced.
It has slow motion. Different camera angles. Time. Replay after replay. A team of officials watching from away from the pitch.
Yet after all of that, we’re once again discussing an acknowledgement the following day that the process failed.
The problem isn’t that Haaland was offside. He wasn’t.
The issue is whether Fernandez became actively involved from an offside position.
That’s a subjective judgement — and precisely the sort of judgement for which sending Michael Oliver to the monitor would have made sense.
Let the referee see it.
Let him watch Fernandez launch himself towards the cross.
Let him see Martinez’s reaction.
Then let the match referee make the decision.
Instead, VAR effectively made that subjective call for him.
And now the refereeing body says that was a mistake.
An Apology Doesn’t Change the Table
This is where football’s VAR problem becomes particularly frustrating.
Acknowledging mistakes is important. Refereeing bodies should be transparent when something goes wrong.
But Manchester United gain absolutely nothing from Monday’s admission.
Manchester City still won 1–0.
City still have the three points.
United still have the defeat on their record.
There is obviously no sensible world in which matches can simply be replayed every time officials make a mistake. Football couldn’t function like that.
But it makes the accuracy of the original VAR process even more important.
You don’t get another chance on Monday morning.
Carrick Has a Point
United coach Michael Carrick questioned how football can surround referees with technology, screens and additional officials and still arrive at a decision like this.
It’s difficult to disagree with the underlying point.
VAR was supposed to reduce controversy.
Instead, at times it seems to have simply changed the type of controversy we’re arguing about.
Before VAR, supporters complained that the referee hadn’t seen something.
Now everyone can see it — repeatedly and from several angles — and somehow we can still end up with the wrong process.
That’s arguably even more frustrating.
And City Still Deserve Credit
There is another side to this.
Manchester City didn’t operate VAR.
Haaland didn’t make the decision.
And City had been playing with ten men since Phil Foden’s 23rd-minute dismissal before finding the winning goal on the hour.
They defended the lead and won the match that was put in front of them.
This isn’t about taking anything away from City’s performance.
It’s about the standard of officiating in arguably the biggest domestic football league in the world.
LoveBelfast View: Football Is Making This Too Complicated
Offside used to feel like one of football’s simplest rules.
Now we’re discussing whether someone who is standing offside, moves towards the ball, attempts to head it and influences how a defender reacts has sufficiently “interfered” with play.
Perhaps the laws need greater clarity.
Perhaps VAR officials need to intervene differently.
But something needs to change.
Because when the technology examines the biggest moment of one of English football’s biggest fixtures, reaches its decision, and the refereeing body then acknowledges an error hours later, supporters are entitled to ask a very simple question:
What exactly is VAR achieving?
Manchester City have the points.
Manchester United have an apology.
And football has another VAR controversy.
What a mess.
Read more: Haaland Punishes United as 10-Man City Win Controversial Manchester Derby
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