Pro Ref has made contact with Manchester United to confirm that an ‘error of judgement’ was made in awarding Erling Haaland’s goal that steered Manchester City to a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford.
Haaland’s controversial strike on the hour-mark proved decisive as City continued their 100 per cent start with a fourth win from four in the Premier League this season.
The visitors were forced to dig deep after Phil Foden was shown a straight red card for kicking out at Bruno Fernandes in the first half – a decision which has divided fans and pundits alike.
But City stood up to the challenge and the result ensured Enzo Maresca’s men regained their place back at the top of the table alongside reigning champions Arsenal, who had won 2-0 away to Sunderland 24 hours earlier.
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After the derby, a visibly irate Michael Carrick expressed his concern that Haaland’s 60th-minute effort had not been ruled out for Enzo Fernandez interfering with play when in an offside position.
Pro Ref have since admitted a mistake was made and confirmed that an on-field review should have been recommended for Fernandez’s role in the goal.
‘Following the incident in the 60th minute of Sunday’s Premier League fixture between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford, we can provide clarification regarding Erling Haaland’s awarded goal,’ the statement reads.
‘The on-field decision was offside against Erling Haaland – that was checked by VAR and he was found to be in an onside position.
‘In the same attack, it was established that Enzo Fernandez did not play the ball and therefore that makes any offside offence subjective, however, on this occasion, the VAR did not recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review.’
United have received an official apology for the incorrect call and a formal review of the incident will be carried out in due course.
‘Contact has been made with Manchester United this evening to acknowledge what we deem is an error of judgement,’ the statement continued.
‘A review of the incident will take place.’
What is Pro Ref?
Professional Game Referees (Pro Ref) is the body that oversees all Premier League, English Football League (EFL), WSL Football and Football Association (FA) competitions.
Funded by the competitions it serves, Pro Ref works in collaboration with them to deliver a long-term match-officiating strategy, under the leadership of Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb and Chief Operating Officer Danielle Every.
This strategy is focused on continually enhancing officiating and broadening the pool of high-performing match officials, ensuring the professional game has access to the best referees and assistant referees in England.
Increased funding from the Premier League, EFL, The FA and WSL Football as part of a new three-year agreement will build on the progress made through the Premier League-driven Elite Referee Development Plan (ERDP). This has delivered enhanced coaching and performance support for match officials working in an environment focused on high performance.
The ERDP – due to enter its fifth year of significant funding – has enabled Pro Ref to put a more modern and dynamic pathway in place, which will continue to provide opportunities to those who are ready to officiate across the various levels of the professional game.
That funding will also see further investment in supporting and accelerating the next generation of talent with an emphasis on a revamped Development Group and the CORE X programme, as well as educating and providing a stronger understanding of officiating to Academy players. These initiatives will continue to complement The FA’s model across grassroots and semi-professional levels while strengthening the refereeing pathway both now and in the future.
Signalling a new chapter for professional refereeing in England, the change from Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) to Professional Game Referees (Pro Ref) underpins this period of ongoing transformation for the organisation albeit with the same aim – to deliver the highest possible standards of refereeing in this country for the benefit of the game.
Taken from the Premier League’s official website
More to follow.