Haaland Late Goal Disallowed Due to Handball Decision

02/28/2025

Erling Haaland stoppage-time goal against Tottenham was ruled out after a VAR review confirmed a handball in the build-up. Haaland, who had earlier scored in the 12th minute, was judged to have handled the ball while controlling it. The Premier League’s Match Centre stated there was no conclusive evidence to overturn the on-field decision. Despite the controversy, Manchester City secured a 1-0 win, with Haaland now trailing Mohamed Salah by five goals in the Golden Boot race.

With the Premier League title race heating up, Erling Haaland found himself at the center of controversy as his stoppage-time goal against Tottenham was disallowed. After opening the scoring in the 12th minute, the Manchester City striker thought he had secured victory late in the match, only for referee Jarred Gillett to rule out his goal for an apparent handball in the build-up.

VAR reviewed the incident and identified two possible handball moments—one when Haaland shifted away from Archie Gray and Kevin Danso, and another when he attempted to control the ball before shooting. After a lengthy review, the Premier League’s Match Centre confirmed that there was no conclusive evidence to overturn the on-field decision, leading to frustration for City.

Despite the controversy, Haaland’s early goal proved decisive as City won 1-0. Tottenham nearly punished the decision moments later when Pape Matar Sarr missed a close-range header. Haaland, now five goals behind Mohamed Salah in the Golden Boot race, voiced his disappointment, calling the decision “clearly wrong” in an interview with TNT Sports.

While City secured three points, the debate over VAR’s influence on critical moments continues to be a major talking point in the Premier League.