Manchester Derby Controversy: VAR Officials Removed from Duty
Matt Donohue, the video assistant referee at the centre of the Manchester derby controversy, has been taken off Premier League duty for the coming weekend after his role in the decision to allow Erling Haaland’s winning goal at Old Trafford.
Assistant VAR Blake Antrobus has also been stood down. Both officials were involved in the call that Pro Ref, English football’s refereeing body, has now branded an “error of judgement” in Manchester City’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United.
VAR duo stood down
Donohue, 37, was the lead VAR for the incident and had been a regular presence on Premier League matchdays this season. He worked on Brighton & Hove Albion’s opening-day win over Aston Villa, Sunderland’s victory against Fulham and Newcastle United’s draw with Bournemouth.
This will be the first Premier League round of the campaign he misses. He is also not involved in this week’s Carabao Cup fixtures.
The decision to remove Donohue and Antrobus from appointments was taken by Pro Ref’s chief refereeing officer Howard Webb and the organisation’s management team. It means the pair will not officiate again until at least after the upcoming international break.
The derby flashpoint
Haaland’s goal, the only strike of the game, was initially ruled out for offside. The Norwegian appeared beyond United full-back Patrick Dorgu as the cross came in, while Enzo Fernandez was also in an offside position and lunging towards the ball.
On the field, the flag went up. In the VAR booth, that call was overturned.
A Pro Ref spokesperson admitted on Sunday night that the VAR “did not recognise the likely impact of his (Fernandez’s) position and should have recommended an on-field review”.
The organisation contacted Manchester United to acknowledge what it called an “error of judgement” and confirmed that a full review of the incident will follow.
Law, interpretation and the fallout
Premier League rules are clear on one key point: “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 was being closely tracked by Lisandro Martinez at the time. Martinez’s focus on the offside midfielder left Haaland unmarked at the back post, free to score what proved to be the decisive goal.
During the match, the Premier League match centre explained its interpretation: “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 judgement now sits at the heart of the controversy. The officials have been removed from the firing line. The laws are under the microscope again. And when the league resumes after the international break, every offside check in every penalty area will feel just a little more loaded.
