Derby VAR Officials Sidelined After Haaland Goal Blunder — SkimNews
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- Matt Donohue (VAR) and assistant VAR Blake Antrobus from the Manchester derby have not been appointed for this weekend's Premier League games following the officiating controversy
- Pro Ref chief refereeing officer Howard Webb and the management team made the decision after the body admitted an "error of judgement" in awarding Haaland's winning goal
- Haaland scored in the 60th minute at Old Trafford from Josko Gvardiol's cross, with the goal initially flagged for offside before VAR ruled him onside via Patrick Dorgu's boot
- Pro Ref acknowledged that Enzo Fernandez was in an offside position but stated "the VAR did not recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review"
- Manchester City maintained their 100% Premier League record from four games despite Phil Foden being sent off after 23 minutes
Why it matters: The sidelining marks a rare, public accountability move by Pro Ref — Webb's team removed two officials from weekend duty after publicly conceding a judgment error on a goal that decided a high-profile derby, raising the bar for VAR scrutiny going forward.
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