VAR officials suspended following controversial Haaland goal in Manchester derby
Matt Donohue and Blake Antrobus will not officiate Premier League matches until the international break following an error in the Manchester derby.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 / Author: Ank kumar
VAR official Matt Donohue and his assistant Blake Antrobus have been left off the Premier League appointments for the upcoming round of fixtures. The decision follows the admission by Pro Ref, the body responsible for officiating in English football, that a mistake was made during the review of Erling Haaland's goal in the Manchester derby.
During the match against Manchester United, the goal was initially ruled out for offside. However, after a VAR check, the on-field decision was overturned and the goal was awarded, proving to be the winner for Manchester City. Donohue was the lead VAR official at Old Trafford during that incident.
The controversy centered on the offside positioning of both Haaland and Enzo Fernandez, who had also contested the cross. Pro Ref has since confirmed that the review process failed to correctly interpret the incident.
The disciplinary decision was finalized by Pro Ref's chief refereeing officer, Howard Webb. In addition to being sidelined for the next Premier League round, the duo will also not be assigned to any League Cup matches this week.