Howard Webb, the head of FA referees, has officially acknowledged a catastrophic error by the video assistant referees during the Manchester derby. The VAR officials failed to check an offside by Enzo Fernandez in the build-up to Erling Haaland's crucial goal at Old Trafford.
Initially, Haaland's goal was disallowed for offside, but the semi-automated system later revealed that he was just three centimetres closer to his goal. However, video referees Matt Donohue and Blake Antrobus completely missed the offside by Fernandez, who stretched for the ball and distracted home defender Lisandro Martinez, thus creating space for Haaland.
On the Match Officials Mic’d Up programme, Webb did not hold back in his criticism of his subordinates:
I am incredibly disappointed with this outcome. We are all disappointed. The referees themselves are the most upset. They take pride in their work and are now devastated by such a gross miscalculation. They have been stood down until after the international break. At that moment, Donohue suffered from tunnel vision; he became fixated solely on Haaland. The colleagues in the VAR room should have pulled him out of that tunnel, but help did not come. An obvious offside play without a touch on the ball was simply ignored. That goal should have been disallowed.
Published recordings from the VAR discussions confirmed the panic and haste within the VAR room:
Haaland is onside. Fast forward. Hurry up, let's go! Go back and check if Ndiaye was offside on the flick. Quick, quick! Yes, it's fine. That's a clear goal, the ball is in the net. Touch by Fernandez? No touch, I confirm. Clear gap. Michael, change your decision to a goal.
Former England striker Wayne Rooney labelled the decision shocking, emphasising that anyone involved in football could have immediately spotted Fernandez's infringement.
Additionally, Webb supported the red card issued to Phil Foden for striking Bruno Fernandes, explaining why the Portuguese international did not receive a red himself:
Foden struck his opponent forcefully in the upper body — that's a clear red. Bruno Fernandes' retaliatory kick from behind was more petulant and irritating than violent. There was no excessive force or brutality necessary to classify it as 'aggressive behaviour'. That's a foul deserving a yellow card.
