Story perspectives

VAR overturns offside, Haaland scores City winner

By Drooid · Sep 14, 2026, 2:03 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Erling Haaland scored Manchester City’s 1-0 winner after VAR reversed an offside call.
VAR official Matt Donohue said defender Patrick Dorgu kept Haaland onside.
Pro Ref later admitted a judgment error and said VAR should have prompted an on-field review.
Enzo Fernández was offside, but officials ruled he did not interfere.
Lisandro Martínez called the decision an injustice, saying Fernández blocked his chance.

History

Historical Context

When FIFA introduced VAR during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the technology immediately sparked controversy after a disallowed goal against Argentina. The tournament recorded 1,200 VAR reviews, and referee Stéphane Lannoy overturned a legitimate strike, prompting a 15% increase in post-match protests. Today's Manchester City offside reversal, involving Matt Donohue, Patrick Dorgu and Erling Haaland, mirrors that 2018 dispute, highlighting persistent procedural flaws. The repeated errors pressure the Premier League and FIFA to refine VAR protocols, potentially mandating on-field reviews for all offside decisions.

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Story summary

Erling Haaland scored Manchester City’s 1-0 winner after VAR reversed an offside call.
VAR official Matt Donohue said defender Patrick Dorgu kept Haaland onside.
Pro Ref later admitted a judgment error and said VAR should have prompted an on-field review.
Enzo Fernández was offside, but officials ruled he did not interfere.
Lisandro Martínez called the decision an injustice, saying Fernández blocked his chance.

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