Pro Ref have said sorry to United for allowing Erling Haaland’s second-half winner to stand in Sunday’s game at Old Trafford whilst Referees' chief Howard Webb said "tunnel vision" from VAR Matt Donohue led to the winner being given.
The assistant initially flagged Haaland offside, but semi-automated technology showed Patrick Dorgu was playing Haaland onside.
VAR then overturned the original offside decision, a decision which has now cost United a potential 3 points as they suffered the 1-0 loss to City.
When quizzed by Viaplay about his immediate reaction to the flag, Haaland was certain he was not offside. "No," he replied. "I saw it was a deflection, so I was like maybe somebody touched it or something, I don’t know."
Now, speaking in an interview with the club back in 2022, Haaland’s quotes via the club website have cropped back up this week following his controversial goal.
The Norwegian striker spoke on the timing of his runs and admitted that he and his father Alfie Haaland spoke on how to avoid the offside trap.
Speaking to the club website, he said: “Me and my father have been discussing this a lot, and when VAR came, it was just good for me, because then the truth is actually there that I’m almost never offside.”
In a separate interview, he stated: "It’s something I’ve been working on since I was 13 at Bryne and I’m still playing in the same kind of way... just now I’m quicker, better and faster.
"If you’re offside with VAR, you have no chance. I think VAR has helped me even more, because you get the decision," Haaland noted. "The truth is actually there that I’m almost never offside."