Referees' chief Howard Webb has acknowledged that "tunnel vision" among VAR officials led to a significant error that cost Manchester United in their derby match against Manchester City. Webb stated that those involved were "really disappointed" with the "highly unfortunate" mistake, which allowed Erling Haaland's 60th-minute goal to stand despite an offside infringement.
Maze of the Incident
City's forward Erling Haaland's strike was initially flagged for offside on the field. However, a VAR review, conducted by referee Michael Oliver and his assistants, resulted in the decision being overturned. Subsequent replays revealed that while Haaland was onside, his teammate Enzo Fernandez, who was positioned to interfere with play, was not correctly assessed.
Webb, who leads the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMOL), explained on the show "Match Officials Mic'd Up" that the VAR officials focused too intently on Haaland's offside status, failing to adequately review Fernandez's involvement. "He gets tunnel vision. He gets focused on Haaland, and it's down to the rest of his team to pull him out of that tunnel, and unfortunately, that didn't happen on this occasion," Webb said.
This error has intensified calls from some quarters to reconsider the use of VAR in the Premier League. Manchester United has reportedly received a full transcript of the VAR decision-making process.
Consequences for Officials
Webb confirmed that the VAR officials involved in the incident, Matt Donohue and assistant Blake Antrobus, have been stood down from officiating duties until after the upcoming international break. He emphasized the personal impact on the officials, stating, "They take a lot of personal pride in what they do and they're obviously hurting now, having fallen short in this situation."
Transparency and Learning
Webb highlighted the PGMOL's commitment to transparency, noting that they have shared the audio and footage of the decision with Manchester United. The organization intends to review the incident thoroughly to understand the breakdown in process that led to the incorrect outcome. "We'll review it, reflect upon it, and try to take the learning forward to prevent this unusual type of error from happening again," Webb stated.
In a separate incident during the match, Webb also addressed the red card shown to Manchester City's Phil Foden for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes. Webb agreed with the referee's decision, classifying Foden's action as forceful contact. He described Fernandes' retaliation as more "petulant" and not meeting the threshold for violent conduct or a cautionable offense, meaning VAR could not intervene to recommend a review for a yellow card.