VAR decision in Manchester derby criticised
Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer for Pro Ref, has expressed significant disappointment regarding a video assistant referee (VAR) error during Sunday’s Manchester derby. The error concerned an offside decision that led to Erling Haaland’s winning goal for Manchester City against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Webb stated that the VAR team, consisting of Matt Donohue and his assistant Blake Antrobus, failed to consider whether Enzo Fernandez was in an offside position and interfering with play.
Haaland’s goal, initially disallowed for offside, was subsequently awarded after a VAR review found him to be onside by three centimetres, based on semi-automated offside technology. However, the review did not fully assess Fernandez’s position, who was diving at the ball in a central area and potentially distracting opponents.
Officials acknowledge error and face consequences
Webb confirmed that the officials involved would not be officiating again until after the international break. He conveyed that the officials themselves were deeply affected by the mistake, taking “a lot of personal pride” in their work. The incident has led to an acknowledgement of an “error of judgement” by Pro Ref, with contact made with Manchester United to communicate this.
The audio from the VAR review, released on the ‘Match Officials Mic’d Up’ programme, revealed that Donohue and Antrobus focused solely on Haaland’s position. Webb described this as “tunnel vision,” noting that the team did not evaluate the full impact of Fernandez’s involvement. The VAR only checked for a touch by Fernandez, which did not occur, rather than assessing his offside position and interference.
Former England striker Wayne Rooney commented on the incident, stating that it was “baffling” for the officials to miss Fernandez’s offside position, a detail he believed anyone who has played the game would understand.
Foden’s red card and Fernandes’ actions
Beyond the offside controversy, the match also saw debate surrounding the red card shown to Phil Foden in the 23rd minute for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes. Webb supported the decision to dismiss Foden, explaining that his action involved force into Fernandes’ upper body. He clarified that Fernandes’ retaliatory kick at Foden’s backside, while “petulant,” did not meet the threshold for violent conduct, which requires “excessive force or brutality.”
Webb indicated that if Foden’s red card had been issued via a VAR review, Fernandes’ action, which would have been a yellow card offence, would also have been identified at the pitchside monitor. This distinction highlights the different thresholds for various on-field incidents.
The incident involving Fernandez’s offside position has been described as a “subjective offside” that was not identified, leading to a goal that Webb believes should have been disallowed. He added that the situation will be reviewed to prevent similar “unusual type of error” from reoccurring.
The review process for such incidents is crucial for the integrity of refereeing decisions. Pro Ref has stated that a review of the incident will take place, aiming for more rigour in their assessments.
The semi-automated offside technology confirmed Haaland was onside from Josko Gvardiol’s cross, but the subsequent failure to assess Fernandez’s offside offence was the core of the VAR error. The VAR transcript showed a focus on Haaland’s position, with the assistant VAR making only one minor contribution during the check.
Webb confirmed that he had been in contact with Manchester United to share the VAR audio and video related to the incident.
Source: bbc.com