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Key Match Incidents panel rules Haaland derby goal should not have stood
23rd September, 2026 02:39 PM
The Key Match Incidents (KMI) panel has unanimously concluded that Erling Haaland’s winning goal in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Sunday, September 13, 2026, should not have been allowed to stand.
Haaland’s effort was initially disallowed after the Manchester City striker was judged to be offside when Josko Gvardiol delivered the cross.
However, a VAR check overturned the on-field decision after determining that Haaland was in an onside position. The five members of the KMI panel subsequently agreed that overturning the original decision was incorrect.
The panel’s concern centred on Enzo Fernandez, who was in an offside position while attempting to play the ball before it reached Haaland. His movement was considered to have affected Manchester United defenders Lisandro Martinez and goalkeeper Senne Lammens.
According to the KMI assessment, the situation amounted to a clear and obvious error, with VAR expected to intervene because the officials had missed a subjective offside offence during the attacking phase of play.
Speaking on Mic’d Up, Pro Ref Chief Refereeing Officer Howard Webb expressed his disappointment with how the incident was handled.
“I was really disappointed with this outcome. We all are. None more so than the officials themselves. They take a lot of personal pride in what they do, and they’re obviously hurting now having fallen short in this situation,” Webb said.
The KMI verdict adds to the scrutiny surrounding the controversial decision, with the panel’s unanimous assessment indicating that the goal should ultimately have been ruled out.
Maresca unhappy
On the same matter, Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca believes too much attention has been placed on Erling Haaland’s disputed winner rather than his side’s performance in Sunday’s, September 13, 2026 Manchester derby.
City claimed a 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford, with Haaland scoring after 60 minutes following a VAR intervention.
The visitors had been reduced to 10 men in the first half after Phil Foden was shown a red card, forcing City to spend most of the match playing with a numerical disadvantage.
Dominating discussions
However, the controversy surrounding the winning goal has dominated discussion since the final whistle.
Maresca, speaking ahead of City’s Carabao Cup meeting with Norwich City, expressed frustration that the wider performance had been overshadowed by one incident.
“Talking about one episode or one moment after that game when we played for 70- 75 minutes with 10 players, I think it’s quite poor,” Maresca said.
“I think the performance was unbelievable, and I’m pleased with the performance.”
