Wayne Rooney has launched a furious criticism of the controversial Manchester City goal that condemned Manchester United to a painful defeat at Old Trafford, insisting that the decision to allow Erling Haaland’s strike should never have stood.
The Manchester derby ended in a 1–0 victory for Manchester City, but the result has been overshadowed by one of the biggest refereeing controversies of the Premier League weekend. Haaland’s goal was initially ruled out for offside before VAR intervened and overturned the decision. However, the controversy did not end there, because the subsequent review failed to properly account for the involvement of Enzo Fernandez, who was in an offside position and attempted to play the ball during the build-up. Pro Ref later acknowledged that VAR had made an error.
For Rooney, a Manchester United legend who experienced countless dramatic derbies during his playing career, the incident was particularly frustrating. The former England international did not hide his anger when discussing the decision, making it clear that he believes the technology designed to eliminate major refereeing mistakes had instead contributed to one.
Rooney’s reaction was especially strong because Manchester United had already been left frustrated by the events of the match. City were reduced to ten men after Phil Foden was sent off in the first half, giving United a significant numerical advantage. Despite having more than an hour to take advantage of the situation, United struggled to create enough clear opportunities and ultimately conceded the decisive goal.
But Rooney’s criticism focused heavily on the decision that allowed Haaland’s goal to stand.
The former United captain questioned how VAR officials could review the incident and still fail to properly assess Fernandez’s position and involvement. While Haaland himself was eventually considered to be in an onside position, the issue was whether Fernandez’s actions from an offside position interfered with the play.
That distinction became crucial.
According to the subsequent explanation from Pro Ref, VAR concentrated on Haaland’s position but failed to properly consider Fernandez’s influence on the play. The refereeing body acknowledged that the incident should have been referred back to the referee for an on-field review.
Rooney’s frustration therefore went beyond simply complaining about an offside line. His criticism was aimed at the wider problem of VAR and the way crucial decisions are being interpreted in modern football.
For someone who played in an era before VAR, Rooney has experienced both sides of controversial refereeing decisions. He knows that referees can make mistakes, but the purpose of VAR was supposed to provide an additional layer of protection in precisely these situations.
Instead, Rooney believes the technology has sometimes created even more confusion.
The former Manchester United striker reportedly described VAR in extremely strong terms while discussing the incident, expressing his frustration at the way the system continues to produce controversial decisions despite having access to multiple camera angles and technology.
The situation became even more embarrassing for the officials when Pro Ref subsequently admitted that the goal should not have been allowed to stand. VAR official Matt Donohue and assistant VAR Blake Antrobus were subsequently stood down from Premier League duty following the mistake.
That admission will do little to ease the anger among Manchester United supporters.
For United fans, the issue is not simply that their team lost a derby. It is that the decisive goal came in circumstances that the authorities themselves later admitted had been handled incorrectly.
Rooney’s comments therefore resonate strongly with supporters who believe United were denied the opportunity to get something from the game.
However, the former United striker also understands that his former club cannot use the VAR controversy to hide all of its problems.
United had more than an hour to play against ten men after Foden’s dismissal, yet they struggled to turn their numerical advantage into meaningful attacking pressure. Their failure to punish City created another major talking point after the match.
Even if the Haaland goal had been disallowed, United still needed to find a way to win the match.
That is where the debate surrounding the derby becomes more complicated.
On one side, United supporters can legitimately point to the officiating mistake. Pro Ref has already acknowledged that VAR got the decision wrong. On the other, United’s performance against ten men exposed serious weaknesses in the team’s attacking play and ability to break down a disciplined opponent.
Rooney is therefore likely to see the defeat from both perspectives.
He can criticize the officials for allowing the goal while simultaneously recognizing that United should have done more before and after the incident.
The former striker knows better than most what Manchester derbies demand. During his playing career, Rooney scored 11 goals against Manchester City, becoming one of the most influential United players in the history of the fixture.
That experience makes his assessment particularly significant.
Rooney understands that derby matches can be decided by tiny moments. A defensive mistake, a refereeing decision, an individual piece of brilliance or one missed opportunity can change everything.
In this case, he believes the decisive moment was heavily influenced by an officiating error.
The controversy has also raised questions about whether VAR officials are becoming too dependent on technological measurements while failing to properly interpret the actual laws of the game.
The technology can determine whether a player is physically ahead of the defensive line, but football’s offside law also involves whether an offside player has interfered with an opponent or attempted to play the ball.
That was the heart of the Haaland controversy.
Fernandez’s position became important because his movement occurred during the build-up to the goal. Although Haaland himself was eventually judged to be onside, Pro Ref acknowledged that Fernandez’s involvement should have been considered more carefully.
Rooney’s criticism therefore represents a wider concern about the consistency of VAR.
If officials can review an incident several times and still fail to identify something that is later acknowledged as an error, supporters will naturally question the purpose of the system.
VAR was introduced to correct clear and obvious mistakes.
Instead, the Manchester derby has once again demonstrated that technology cannot eliminate controversy unless the officials operating it correctly interpret what they see.
For Manchester United, the timing could hardly be worse.
The club entered the derby hoping to build momentum under Michael Carrick, but the defeat leaves them with another difficult result and more questions about their progress.
United’s inability to capitalize on City’s numerical disadvantage will inevitably be discussed alongside the refereeing controversy.
Rooney’s criticism, however, ensures that the spotlight remains firmly on the controversial goal.
The former United star believes supporters are entitled to question why the goal was allowed to stand, especially after the authorities later admitted that VAR had made a mistake.
For Manchester City, the victory remains valuable, but the circumstances surrounding it mean the result will continue to be debated.
Haaland’s goal officially stands in the record books, and City take the three points, but the controversy has created an uncomfortable cloud over the victory.
The incident also comes at a particularly significant moment for Haaland, who has moved past Rooney and Sergio Aguero to become the leading Premier League scorer in Manchester derby history.
Ironically, Rooney’s record being overtaken by Haaland has coincided with Rooney becoming one of the loudest voices criticizing the circumstances surrounding the Norwegian striker’s latest derby goal.
For United supporters, however, the issue is not about Haaland’s record.
It is about fairness.
They want to know why a goal that was initially ruled out was subsequently awarded despite another attacking player being involved from an offside position.
They also want consistency from the officials.
And after Pro Ref admitted the error, Rooney’s criticism has gained even more weight.
The Manchester derby will eventually be remembered as another chapter in the rivalry between the two clubs, but the VAR controversy may ultimately become the defining story of the match.
United will have to improve their football because refereeing decisions will not always determine their results. They cannot afford to waste opportunities against ten-man opponents and then rely entirely on officials to explain their defeats.
At the same time, the authorities must accept responsibility when mistakes are made.
In this case, they have.
Rooney’s anger reflects the frustration of a former Manchester United player who understands how much these games mean to supporters. He believes decisions of this magnitude should be handled with far greater care, particularly when VAR has the technology and time to examine the incident.
The biggest lesson from the derby may therefore not be about Manchester United or Manchester City at all.
It may be about VAR.
If the system is going to remain a central part of Premier League football, supporters and players need to trust that major decisions are being reviewed properly and consistently.
The Manchester derby has once again shown that having technology is not enough.
The people operating it must also understand how to use it.
And according to Rooney, the decision to allow Haaland’s controversial goal was a clear example of where that process failed Manchester United.