Carrick Critiques VAR Decision on Haaland's Derby Goal

Manchester United manager Michael Carrick expressed strong criticism regarding the VAR decision that allowed Erling Haaland's controversial goal in the Manchester derby, which took place at Old Trafford. Manchester City won the match 1-0 after Haaland scored in the second half, despite the goal being initially ruled out for offside.

The decision was overturned following a VAR review, which deemed Haaland onside at the moment the ball was played. Carrick was particularly frustrated because Enzo Fernández was in an offside position and appeared to interfere with play during the build-up.

He described the explanation for the decision as “staggering” and questioned the effectiveness of the VAR process. Pro Ref, the organization responsible for Premier League refereeing, later admitted that the VAR decision was incorrect, acknowledging that Fernández's influence should have been considered and that the referee should have reviewed the incident on the pitch-side monitor.

Despite having a numerical advantage after Phil Foden's red card, Manchester United could not equalize.