Premier League referees’ chief Howard Webb has admitted that Manchester City’s goal against Manchester United should not have stood after VAR officials failed to properly assess an offside offence during the incident.

The goal came after Josko Gvardiol delivered a cross for Erling Haaland, who finished the move. Although semi-automated offside technology showed Haaland was three centimetres onside, Webb said VAR officials became too focused on Haaland’s position and failed to properly consider the involvement of another player who was in an offside position.

Webb described the error as “really disappointing” and said the goal should have been disallowed.

Quick Takeaways

• Howard Webb admitted Manchester City’s goal against Manchester United should have been disallowed.
• Semi-automated technology showed Erling Haaland was three centimetres onside.
• VAR officials, according to Webb, became too focused on Haaland and failed to properly assess the offside player’s involvement.
• Webb described the mistake as an unusual error that refereeing officials would review and learn from.
• He also defended Phil Foden’s red card, while saying Bruno Fernandes should have received a yellow card for his earlier action.

The Goal That Triggered The VAR Controversy

The incident began when Josko Gvardiol sent a cross into the Manchester United penalty area.

Haaland ultimately scored from the delivery, but the goal immediately raised a different offside question.

While Haaland’s position was checked, another Manchester City player was positioned offside and close to United defender Lisandro Martinez and goalkeeper Senne Lammens.

The key issue was therefore not simply whether Haaland was offside.

It was whether the other player’s position and involvement affected the play sufficiently for the goal to be ruled out.

That distinction became central to Webb’s explanation of what went wrong.

Why Howard Webb Says The Goal Should Have Been Disallowed

According to Webb, VAR officials Alex Donohue and Richard Antrobus established that Haaland was onside but then became too focused on that particular aspect of the incident.

Webb described their decision-making as developing “tunnel vision” once they had established that Haaland was in an onside position.

“The VAR gets super-focused on Haaland,” Webb said. “He establishes he’s onside, he thinks that’s a good goal.”

The problem, Webb explained, was that the officials did not properly identify the impact of the player who was in an offside position.

“What looks like a really clear subjective offside, because Fernandez doesn’t touch the ball but still clearly impacts [the play but] doesn’t get identified, and it’s really disappointing,” Webb said.

His assessment was unequivocal.

“This goal should’ve been disallowed. And unfortunately, it wasn’t, and we’ll review it, reflect upon it, and try to take the learning forward to prevent this unusual type of error from happening again.”

What Semi-Automated Offside Technology Actually Established

The technology used during the incident established that Haaland himself was onside by three centimetres.

That finding, however, did not settle every possible offside question surrounding the goal.

Offside decisions can involve more than simply determining the position of the player who eventually scores. The involvement of another attacking player can also become relevant when assessing whether an offence has occurred.

That is why Webb’s explanation focuses on what the VAR officials failed to consider after determining Haaland’s position.

The technology answered one part of the question, while the officials still had to assess the wider circumstances of the play.

Where Webb Says VAR Went Wrong

Webb’s criticism centres on the officials’ assessment rather than the technology itself.

The VAR team correctly established that Haaland was onside, but according to Webb, that finding appears to have narrowed their attention too much.

Instead of completing a wider assessment of the attacking players involved in the sequence, the officials became focused on whether Haaland had been offside.

That meant the other offside position and its potential influence on the play were not properly identified.

For Webb, that failure explains why a goal that should have been disallowed was ultimately allowed to stand.

Webb Also Defends Foden’s Red Card

Webb also addressed another major refereeing incident from the Manchester City-Manchester United match involving Phil Foden and Bruno Fernandes.

Foden was sent off after kicking out at Fernandes.

Webb agreed with the decision to dismiss the Manchester City forward, arguing that Foden’s action involved enough force to warrant a red card.

“I agree with the red card for Phil Foden,” Webb said. “He kicks out with force into the upper body of Bruno Fernandes.”

Webb also explained that violent conduct requires a higher threshold, describing it as involving “excessive force or brutality.”

He said Fernandes’ earlier kick at Foden’s backside did not reach that threshold and was instead “more petulant than violent”.

According to Webb, Fernandes would have received a yellow card if Foden’s dismissal had been followed by a VAR review at the pitchside monitor.

Why The Two Decisions Are Significant

The two incidents illustrate different aspects of refereeing decision-making during the same match.

The goal controversy concerned an offside assessment in which Haaland’s position was correctly identified but another aspect of the play was missed.

The Foden incident, meanwhile, concerned the level of force involved in a disciplinary action.

Webb’s comments therefore provide an assessment of both decisions while acknowledging that one of the most significant VAR decisions in the match was incorrect.

His admission also underlines the importance of officials assessing the entire incident, rather than allowing one part of a VAR review to overshadow another relevant factor.

What The Webb Admission Means For VAR

The most important point from Webb’s comments is that the error was not presented as a failure to determine Haaland’s position.

The semi-automated system showed Haaland was onside.

The failure came after that assessment, when the officials did not properly identify the offside player’s involvement in the play.

Webb said the incident would be reviewed and used as a learning opportunity in an effort to prevent a similar error from happening again.

That makes the admission significant beyond the individual Manchester derby incident because it highlights the need for VAR officials to maintain a complete view of an attacking sequence even after one offside question has been resolved.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why was Manchester City’s goal against Manchester United controversial?

The controversy arose because Haaland was shown to be onside, but another Manchester City player was in an offside position and close to the United players involved in the defensive action. Howard Webb later said the player’s involvement should have resulted in the goal being disallowed.

Was Erling Haaland offside?

No. According to the semi-automated offside technology cited in the source article, Haaland was three centimetres onside.

What did Howard Webb say went wrong with VAR?

Webb said VAR officials became too focused on determining whether Haaland was onside and failed to properly assess the involvement of the other player in an offside position.

Did Howard Webb agree with Phil Foden’s red card?

Yes. Webb said he agreed with Foden’s dismissal after the Manchester City forward kicked out at Bruno Fernandes.

Should Bruno Fernandes have been sent off?

According to Webb, Fernandes’ earlier kick at Foden was “more petulant than violent” and should have resulted in a yellow card.

The Bigger Refereeing Question

Howard Webb’s admission changes the focus of the Manchester City goal controversy.

The issue was not that the offside technology incorrectly judged Haaland’s position. Instead, the technology produced an onside result while the wider officiating assessment failed to account for another player’s involvement.

Webb acknowledged that the goal should have been disallowed and said the incident would be reviewed so officials could learn from the mistake.

For VAR, the lesson identified by Webb is clear: resolving one element of an incident cannot come at the expense of assessing the rest of the play.

Do you agree with Howard Webb that Manchester City’s goal should have been disallowed? And do you think VAR officials should have identified the offside offence despite Haaland being onside? Share your view in the comments.