VAR Official Removed After Haaland Derby Incident
The VAR at the centre of Erling Haaland’s contentious winner in the Manchester derby has been removed from Premier League duty for the coming weekend.
Matt Donohue, who led the video review that overturned an offside call and allowed Manchester City’s only goal in their victory at Old Trafford, has not been appointed to any top-flight fixture on the next round of games. His assistant VAR that day, Blake Antrobus, has also been left off the list.
Both officials step aside after Pro Ref, English football’s refereeing body, admitted an “error of judgement” in the handling of the incident.
First omission of the season
For Donohue, 37, this is the first Premier League matchweek of the season he will miss. He has been a regular presence in the booth, working as VAR for Brighton & Hove Albion’s opening-day win over Aston Villa, Sunderland’s victory against Fulham and Newcastle United’s draw with Bournemouth.
He is also not involved in this week’s Carabao Cup ties.
The call to stand him and Antrobus down was taken by chief refereeing officer Howard Webb and Pro Ref’s management team. It means the pair will not officiate again until at least after the upcoming international break.
How the decision unraveled
Haaland’s goal was initially ruled out on the field for offside. The Manchester City striker appeared beyond Manchester United full-back Patrick Dorgu when the cross came in, with Enzo Fernandez also lunging towards the ball from an offside position.
VAR intervened. After review, Donohue advised that Haaland was onside and that the goal should stand. The focus then fell on Fernandez’s involvement.
On Sunday evening, a Pro Ref spokesperson conceded that the VAR “did not recognise the likely impact of his (Fernandez’s) position and should have recommended an on-field review”.
The body contacted Manchester United to acknowledge what it described as an error of judgement and confirmed that a full review of the incident will follow.
The law at the heart of the row
Premier League regulations are clear on the scenario at issue: “a player will be penalised if they are clearly attempting to play a ball which is close when this action impacts on an opponent”.
Fernandez, in an offside position, was being tightly tracked by Lisandro Martinez. In committing to that duel, Martinez left Haaland unmarked at the far post, a split-second decision that proved decisive.
During the game, the Premier League match centre defended the live call: “VAR checked the referee’s call of no goal for offside – and determined that Haaland was in an onside position and recommended that the goal was awarded. The VAR also deemed that while in an offside position, Fernandez didn’t play the ball.”
That interpretation now sits in direct conflict with Pro Ref’s own assessment.
The laws have not changed. The scrutiny on how they are applied just has.
