Erling Haaland has responded to the contentious incident involving his decisive goal in Manchester City's narrow 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
The Norwegian's strike in the second half triggered significant debate, especially when the assistant referee initially flagged him offside.
VAR overturned the assistant referee's decision
Despite the raised flag, the semi-automated offside system demonstrated that City’s Patrick Dorgu had kept Haaland onside, leading to VAR overturning the initial decision and allowing the goal to stand.
Following the game, Pro Ref issued an apology to Manchester United for the handling of the incident, while the head of English refereeing, Howard Webb, stated that the VAR decision was influenced by a phenomenon known as ‘tunnel vision’—a concentrated focus on a single aspect of the play.
Haaland believed he was in the clear
When quizzed by Viaplay about the assistant's flag, Haaland insisted he didn't believe he was offside:
'No. I saw there was a deflection, so I thought maybe someone touched the ball or something like that. I don't know.'
Post-match, attention shifted back to Haaland's previous remarks made in 2022 during an interview with Manchester City’s official website.
'With VAR, the truth is really visible'
Haaland recounted how he and his father, Alfie, would frequently discuss the right moment to make a run and avoid offside traps.
'We talked about this a lot, and when VAR came in, it was good for me because now the truth is really visible—I’m almost never offside.'
The Norway international also reflected on his development in this area dating back to when he played for Bryne at the age of 13.
'This is something I've been working on since I was 13 at Bryne, and I still play much the same... Just now, I’m faster, better, and stronger.'
Haaland believes that the introduction of VAR has actually played to his strengths:
'If you're offside with VAR, you have no chance. I think VAR has helped me even more because the decision is now clear.'
