Manchester City defeats Manchester United amid VAR controversy

On September 13, 2026, Manchester City secured a 1-0 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford during the Manchester derby. Despite being reduced to 10 players in the 24th minute, City claimed the win through a 60th-minute goal by Erling Haaland. The goal was initially flagged for offside but was overturned by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR), who ruled that Haaland was onside after a deflection, and that Enzo Fernandez, who was in an offside position, did not interfere with play.

The decision caused significant controversy, leading the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) to officially acknowledge that the officiating team made a mistake. The refereeing body stated that while Fernandez did not touch the ball, his positioning influenced the play and should have triggered an on-field review. PGMOL confirmed they have communicated this error to Manchester United.

Following this match, Manchester City moved to a 4-0 record in the Premier League, sitting at the top of the table alongside Arsenal. With this strike, Erling Haaland reached eight goals in seven matches against Manchester United, matching the record held by Sergio Aguero and Wayne Rooney for the most goals in Manchester derbies while having played fewer matches.