Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer for Pro Ref, confirmed on September 15, 2026, that VAR failed to identify an offside offence by Enzo Fernandez during Erling Haaland’s goal in the recent Manchester derby. The goal was initially ruled out on-field, but VAR officials Matt Donohue and assistant Blake Antrobus overturned the decision after concluding that Haaland was in an onside position.
Webb stated that the VAR team developed "tunnel vision" by focusing exclusively on Haaland, neglecting to evaluate the impact of Fernandez’s position on the play. Wayne Rooney described the failure to identify the offside offence as "baffling."
Regarding other disciplinary actions in the match, Webb defended the red card issued to Phil Foden for kicking Bruno Fernandes. He further classified Fernandes’ reaction to the incident as a yellow-card offence for petulance rather than violent conduct.
As a consequence of the error, Webb confirmed that Matt Donohue and Blake Antrobus will not officiate any matches until after the upcoming international break.