The VAR officials involved in the controversial Manchester derby decision will not take charge of any Premier League match this weekend after Pro Ref admitted an “error of judgement” over Erling Haaland’s winning goal for Manchester City against Manchester United.
VAR Matt Donohue and assistant VAR Blake Antrobus have not been appointed for this weekend’s Premier League fixtures following a decision made by Pro Ref chief refereeing officer Howard Webb and the organization’s management team.
The decision comes just days after the officials were at the center of intense debate following Manchester City’s 1-0 victory at Old Trafford, where Haaland’s second-half goal was allowed to stand despite concerns over an offside infringement involving team-mate Enzo Fernandez.
VAR officials left out after Manchester derby controversy
The VAR officials were involved in the review that overturned the on-field decision to disallow Haaland’s goal in the 60th minute.
Haaland finished from close range at the back post after Josko Gvardiol’s low cross was deflected into his path, but the assistant referee initially ruled the striker offside. A VAR review, however, established that Patrick Dorgu’s boot had played Haaland onside, leading to the goal being awarded.
The decision appeared straightforward at first, but attention quickly shifted to Fernandez, who was positioned centrally and clearly beyond the last defender when the ball was played.
The City midfielder attempted to reach the cross with a diving header but failed to make contact with the ball. His movement, however, became the central issue because of the possibility that he had interfered with an opponent while in an offside position.
Pro Ref has now acknowledged that the review did not adequately consider that part of the incident.
“It was established that Enzo Fernandez did not play the ball and therefore that makes any offside offence subjective,” Pro Ref said in a statement.
“However, on this occasion, the VAR did not recognize the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review.”
That admission has now been followed by the decision to leave Donohue and Antrobus out of the Premier League appointments for the coming weekend.
How the Manchester derby goal sparked a major debate
The controversy surrounding the Manchester derby was not simply about Haaland’s position. The Norwegian was eventually shown to be onside because Dorgu’s boot was keeping him behind the required line, meaning the original on-field offside decision was incorrect.
The more complicated question concerned Fernandez. Although he did not touch the ball, he was attempting to play it while being in an offside position. The incident therefore required officials to determine whether his action had an impact on an opponent, rather than simply establishing his position on the pitch.
That distinction became particularly important because Fernandez was between the ball and Manchester United’s defenders as he attempted the diving header.
Pro Ref’s admission suggests the VAR review should have gone further instead of simply overturning the original offside decision. An on-field review would have allowed the referee to make the final judgement on whether Fernandez’s movement affected an opponent and therefore constituted an offside offence.
The controversy was made even more significant because Haaland’s finish ultimately decided the match.
Manchester City win despite Foden red card
The controversial decision came during an extraordinary afternoon at Old Trafford, with Manchester City forced to play for more than 70 minutes with 10 men.
Phil Foden was shown a straight red card after 23 minutes following an incident involving Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes.
Despite being a player down, City remained dangerous and eventually found the decisive moment through Haaland in the second half. The striker’s goal secured all three points and maintained City’s perfect Premier League record after four matches.
For Manchester United, however, the manner in which the goal was awarded overshadowed much of the result.
The defeat was made particularly frustrating by the belief that the offside issue involving Fernandez had not been properly considered during the VAR review.
Pro Ref admits error as officials face weekend omission
The decision not to appoint Donohue and Antrobus this weekend represents a significant consequence of the controversial call, although Pro Ref has not described the omission as a formal punishment.
Instead, the organization’s chief refereeing officer Howard Webb and the management team made the decision following their review of the incident.
The acknowledgement of an “error of judgement” is also notable because VAR intervention is designed to correct clear errors while ensuring that important aspects of an incident are properly assessed before a decision is changed.
In this case, Pro Ref accepted that the officials correctly established that Haaland himself was not offside, but failed to recognize the potential impact of Fernandez’s position.
That distinction lies at the heart of the controversy.
The VAR officials will therefore have no Premier League assignment this weekend, while Pro Ref continues to review what went wrong during one of the most contentious moments of the opening weeks of the season.
For Manchester City, the incident remains attached to a victory that preserved their perfect start. For Manchester United, it has become another painful reminder of how a single refereeing decision can shape the outcome of a Premier League match.
And for the officials involved, the decision to leave them out this weekend underlines just how seriously Pro Ref has taken its own admission of an error.
