Why Erling Haaland's goal vs Manchester United was given despite clear offside
Haaland’s controversial Manchester City goal at Old Trafford stood after VAR review, with semi-automated offside technology still leaving United fans fuming.
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Erling Haaland's opener for Manchester City against Manchester United at Old Trafford had home fans in uproar after VAR controversially overturned an offside flag to allow the goal to stand.
The Norwegian striker tucked away a deflected cross from Josko Gvardiol, only for the assistant referee to immediately raise his flag. What followed was a lengthy and bewildering VAR review that tested the patience of everyone inside the stadium.
The review was complicated by the involvement of two City players in the build-up. Enzo Fernandez was stationed inside the penalty area in what appeared to be an offside position, while Haaland himself was also being assessed. VAR official Matt Donohue had to work through both cases before any ruling could be made.
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The Premier League's semi-automated offside technology ultimately provided the decisive answer. It showed that Haaland was actually onside at the critical moment, played on by the outstretched foot of Manchester United defender Patrick Dorgu, who had lunged to block Gvardiol's delivery from the left flank.
The official Premier League statement confirmed the reasoning: "VAR checked the referee's call of no goal for offside and determined that Haaland was in an onside position and recommended that the goal was awarded. The VAR also deemed that while in an offside position, Fernandez didn't play the ball."
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The rule at the heart of the controversy centres on two distinct principles. First, a player can only be caught offside if they are involved in active play, which is why Fernandez's position alone was not sufficient to disallow the goal since he did not touch the ball. Second, an attacker is considered onside if any part of a defender's body that can legally play the ball is level with or beyond them at the moment the ball is played. Dorgu's lunging foot, despite his intentions, inadvertently kept Haaland onside.
The decision sparked fury among United supporters, who felt the prolonged wait and the final outcome were deeply unsatisfactory. For Haaland, however, the goal added yet another landmark strike to a remarkable record against United, further cementing his status as one of the most lethal forwards in Premier League history.
Martin Moses (Sports editor)
Martin Moses is a sports journalist at TUKO.co.ke (joined 2024) with over eight years experience. He graduated at the Multimedia University of Kenya in 2021. He launched his career in media at MMU radio (2018- 2021). Martin also interviewed distinguished sports personalities while at Sports 360 (2020-2022). He joined Sports Brief in April 2022 before transitioning to TUKO.co.ke where he is now the Sports Editor. You can reach out: martin.moses@tuko.co.ke