Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney was left baffled after Erling Haaland’s goal was allowed. Manchester City registered a 1-0 win against derby rivals Manchester United after Haaland’s controversial goal at an hour mark at Old Trafford on Sunday.

The goal was initially disallowed on field, but then the VAR official Matt Donohue reversed the decision after determining Haaland was onside. However, Pro Ref later admitted the VAR made an “error of judgement”.

Rooney said whoever has played football at a professional level would say that Haaland was offside when he scored the only goal of the match.

Rooney said on BBC’s Match of the Day 2: “I’m just so sick of this VAR, I think it’s horrendous. It takes all the emotion off the game, the energy the game’s played with, and to not see that and recognise Fernández is in an offside position …

“Anyone who’s played the game at any level understands that and knows that he’s in an offside position…To get it so wrong, it’s just baffling.”

Sharing his two cents on the incident, former referee Dermot Gallagher said: “Well, it’s in house, isn’t it? I have to tell you, when I was a referee, and referees now, we actually beat ourselves up if we get something wrong.

“We are the worst enemies for ourselves. [This incident is] really unfortunate, but that’s it. You can’t change that. You can only change the present and the future. And you’ve got to learn from it.”

Gallagher said the officials “lost focus”, adding: “I think they’ve focused on one element of that law [whether Fernandez touched the ball] and that focus has diverted them away from the real thing.”

Manchester United will next take on Brighton in the third round of the EFL Cup on Wednesday at Old Trafford.