Manchester City beat United in the derby with a VAR-assisted Haaland goal that left Gary Neville baffled

Manchester City won the September 13 Manchester derby 1-0, and the only goal of the game came with enough procedural drama to fill a courtroom. Erling Haaland scored in the 59th minute, the linesman immediately flagged for offside, and then VAR spent several minutes doing what VAR does: freeze-framing ankles and ruining the spontaneous joy of football. The decision was ultimately reversed. Haaland’s goal stood. Manchester United lost. And Gary Neville, one of the most decorated former defenders in Premier League history, admitted live on Sky Sports that he needed the offside law explained to him. What actually happened with the goal The sequence began with a cross from Josko Gvardiol. As the ball left Gvardiol’s foot, Patrick Dorgu, the Manchester United defender, had a foot position that kept Haaland onside. That is the moment that matters in offside decisions: where defenders are when the ball is played, not when it arrives. A second element complicated the review. Enzo Fernandez was also in an offside position at the moment of the cross. VAR had to determine whether Fernandez interfered with play or touched the ball. The conclusion was that he did neither, so his position was ir...