Howard Webb, head of refereeing at Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), attributed the controversial Erling Haaland disallowed-offside-and-overturned goal in Sunday’s Manchester derby to “tunnel vision” by the video assistant referee team. Speaking on Match Officials Mic’d Up, Webb explained that officials Matt Donohue and Blake Antrobus failed to properly assess Enzo Fernandez’s interference after the semi-automated offside system initially cleared Haaland.
The incident occurred during Manchester City’s 1-0 victory at Old Trafford. Haaland’s strike was first ruled out for offside but was reinstated after a VAR review. PGMOL subsequently acknowledged the error, stating that Fernandez had attempted to play the ball from an offside position but was overlooked during the review process.
“I was really disappointed with this outcome. We all are. None more so than the officials themselves,” Webb said. “They take a lot of personal pride in what they do, and they’re obviously hurting now having fallen short in this situation.”
Webb clarified that while the system correctly identified Haaland as onside, the VAR officers became overly focused on the striker’s positioning. “When he then runs it back through the full APP, he doesn’t truly evaluate the full impact of Fernandez’s position,” Webb noted. “He has a look to see if he touches the ball… He doesn’t touch the ball, but he doesn’t truly evaluate other elements of offside. In that moment, he gets tunnel vision.”
As a result of the miscue, Donohue and Antrobus have been suspended from officiating in Premier League matches until after the international break. Webb confirmed that PGMOL had reached out to Manchester United to acknowledge the mistake, a standard procedure for such errors.
The decision drew sharp criticism from Manchester United manager Michael Carrick, who lamented the loss. The defeat marked United’s second failure in four Premier League games this season. Former United star Wayne Rooney and other pundits also condemned the use of VAR, with some experts describing the technology as overly dominant in modern football decisions.
Manchester United return to action on Wednesday, hosting Brighton in the League Cup, followed by a Premier League away fixture at Fulham on Sunday.
Fernandez definitely interfered. The suspension seems harsh, but accountability matters even if it hurts.
Another error costing United points. When does VAR actually help instead of ruining the flow of the game?
Tunnel vision is a real thing in high-pressure jobs. Hope the lads recover quickly from this setback.