The Check That Never Was: Webb Admits VAR Never Even Examined Fernandez's Position on Haaland's Derby Winner

The fallout from Erling Haaland's decisive strike in Sunday's Manchester derby has deepened after referees' chief Howard Webb admitted the video assistant referee never even considered whether Enzo Fernandez was offside in the build-up to the controversial winning goal. As reported by BBC Sport, Webb confirmed that the question of Fernandez's position simply never formed part of the VAR review — a striking omission given that offside checks are meant to be automatic on any scoring play. Haaland's finish ultimately separated the two sides in one of the season's most fiercely contested fixtures, but the celebrations were swiftly overshadowed by claims that Fernandez had strayed beyond the last defender before playing his part in the decisive move. Webb's admission transforms the debate from a dispute over a marginal call into something far more troubling for the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL): a breakdown in process itself. When a goal is scored, the VAR protocol requires a thorough check of the attacking possession phase, including offside positions. That officials did not so much as weigh the question, according to Webb, suggests a failure of communication or procedure rather than a tight judgment call that simply went the wrong way. The revelation has drawn a sharp response from pundits and supporters alike, with many questioning how the sport's most expensive officiating infrastructure can miss an inquiry as basic as an offside assessment on a match-winning goal. It also lands at an awkward moment for Webb, who has spent the season fronting efforts to make refereeing decisions more transparent and accountable to the public. The episode carries resonance well beyond Manchester. With the FIFA World Cup 2026 on the horizon, where semi-automated offside technology will again take center stage, the incident underscores the gap between tournament-level systems and the processes still relied upon in domestic leagues. Offside determination is meant to be the most objective part of the VAR's remit — a matter of lines and geometry rather than opinion. If the question is never asked, even the most precise technology becomes irrelevant. For the clubs involved, the frustration is compounded by the fact that there is no mechanism to revisit the result. The goal stands, the points are settled, and the only remaining recourse is explanation rather than remedy. Attention now turns to how PGMOL responds. An internal review of the incident appears inevitable, while calls are growing for the audio of the VAR conversation to be released so the public can hear precisely how the check unfolded — or failed to. Until then, Haaland's winner will be remembered less for the finish itself than for the question that, by Webb's own admission, was never even asked.