Howard Webb, head of the refereeing body that manages officials for Premier League matches, said “tunnel vision” by the video assistant referee (VAR) was the reason officials incorrectly awarded Erling Haaland’s winning goal in Sunday’s Manchester derby.<\/p>\n
Haaland’s 60th-minute strike at Old Trafford, initially ruled offside on the field, was overturned and awarded after a lengthy review by VAR Matt Donohue and assistant VAR Blake Antrobus.<\/p>\n
With the help of semi-automated technology, the officials correctly determined that Haaland was in an onside position when Josko Gvardiol crossed the ball, but they failed to recognize that a diving Enzo Fernandez, who was in an offside position, was interfering with play.<\/p>\n
The officials checked to see if Fernandez touched the ball – he didn’t – but never discussed whether the Argentine midfielder impacted the play before telling on-field referee Michael Oliver that the goal should be allowed.<\/p>\n
“I was really disappointed with this outcome. We all are. None more so than the officials themselves,” Webb said Tuesday on “Match Officials Mic’d Up,”<\/a> the Premier League’s in-house series that analyzes refereeing decisions.<\/p>\n “They take a lot of personal pride in what they do, and they’re obviously hurting now, having fallen short in this situation. (Donohue and Antrobus won’t) be officiating again until after the international break.”<\/p>\n Webb, the chief refereeing officer at Pro Ref, explained: “The VAR gets super-focused on Haaland. He establishes he’s onside, he thinks that’s a good goal. … He doesn’t truly evaluate the full impact of Fernandez’s position. He has a look to see if he touches the ball, because then that relates to potentially knocking it to Haaland, who goes on to score. …<\/p>\n “In that moment, he gets tunnel vision.”<\/p>\n Webb added: “It’s down to the rest of his team to pull him out of that tunnel, and unfortunately, that didn’t happen.”<\/p>\n