Man United vs Man City: Why Erling Haaland's Goal Was Not Ruled Offside

• Erling Haaland scored in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford, but the goal was initially disallowed
• The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened to overturn the on-field offside decision, allowing the goal to stand
• Haaland's controversial goal was not the only flashpoint in the game, as Phil Foden also received a red card

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Erling Haaland’s 60th-minute goal for Manchester City at Old Trafford stood after VAR overturned the initial offside decision.

The Norwegian striker had been flagged offside by the on-field officials, putting his effort in doubt.

However, a VAR review found Haaland to be in a legal position when he finished the move. The goal ultimately proved decisive as City secured the derby win.

Why Haaland's offside goal stood

Official footage examined during the review demonstrated that Haaland's body was not beyond the last defender at the moment the ball was played to him, meaning the offside flag had been raised incorrectly.

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The VAR system, designed to catch precisely these marginal decisions, cleared the Norwegian striker, and the goal was awarded.

Watch Haaland's controversial goal, as shared on X:

Providing further clarity, the Premier League Match Centre explained the rationale behind Michael Oliver's decision:

"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."

A derby defined by controversy

Haaland's goal was not the only flashpoint of the afternoon.

The match was also overshadowed by a red card shown to Phil Foden, which added another layer of controversy to a derby that kept supporters and pundits talking well beyond the final whistle.

Watch Phil Foden's red card incident, as shared on X:

The combination of the contentious dismissal and the disputed goal underlined how fine the margins were throughout the encounter, with decisions from both the on-field referee and the VAR system drawing intense scrutiny from all sides.

Nevertheless, Haaland and his teammates held on to collect all three points and move joint top of the Premier League table with Arsenal after four matches.

Manchester derby: Supercomputer prediction proves accurate

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Opta’s supercomputer backed Manchester City to beat Manchester United at Old Trafford.

The model gave City a 45.1% chance of victory, a prediction that ultimately came true.

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Source: YEN.com.gh