Audio of the VAR conversation behind Erling Haaland's goal in the Manchester derby has been made public, exposing how referee Michael Oliver was guided to let the goal stand.
Enzo Maresca's Manchester City side beat Manchester United 1-0 away from home thanks to the Norwegian's strike, a goal that chief refereeing officer Howard Webb later admitted should not have counted.
What the VAR audio reveals
Haaland himself was not offside and was not interfering with play in an offside position. The problem was Enzo Fernandez, who made a movement toward the ball. The VAR room never examined Fernandez's position or his involvement in the phase, even though his movement made it harder for United defender Lisandro Martinez to deal with the ball. Officials focused solely on whether Fernandez actually touched it.
According to the audio, referee Matt Donohue, working in the VAR booth, first told colleagues that the on-field decision was offside and that they were checking the offside call on Haaland. He then told Oliver that Haaland was in a normal position, but that the whole attacking phase still needed to be checked, asking him to wait.
Fernandez under the microscope
Donohue was then heard discussing Fernandez, saying there was no contact there, asking colleagues to confirm there was no contact, and stating there was a clear gap between Fernandez and the ball. He asked for a closer, different camera angle to be sure Fernandez did not touch it.
Once he confirmed the Argentine had not made contact with the ball, Donohue told Oliver the goal was good, without ever addressing whether Fernandez's movement toward the ball counted as interference that blocked United's defender.
He then delivered the final call: confirming the decision should be changed to a goal, with Haaland in a normal position, declaring "final decision: goal" and ending the review.
Background
Michael Oliver is one of the Premier League's most senior referees, while Howard Webb, a former World Cup official, now serves as chief refereeing officer overseeing the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body responsible for English top-flight officiating and VAR reviews.
