The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) has acknowledged an error of judgement in the decision to allow Erling Haaland’s goal during Sunday’s Premier League clash between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford.
The goal, which came in the 60th minute, was initially flagged for offside before the decision was overturned following a VAR review.
In a statement, PGMOL explained that Haaland was determined to be in an onside position when the ball was played.
However, the officials subsequently reviewed the involvement of Enzo Fernandez, who did not make contact with the ball during the attacking move.
According to PGMOL, this meant that determining whether Haaland had gained an advantage from Fernandez’s position became a subjective decision.
The refereeing body admitted that VAR failed to properly assess the potential impact of Fernandez’s position and should have recommended that the referee conduct an on-field review.
PGMOL said it had contacted Manchester United to acknowledge what it described as an “error of judgement”.
The incident will now undergo a further review as questions continue to be raised over the use of VAR in Premier League matches.