Matt Donohue and Blake Antrobus, the VAR and assistant VAR from Sunday's Manchester derby, have not been given any Premier League appointments for this weekend's round of fixtures. The decision follows Pro Ref's admission that the pair made an "error of judgement" in awarding Erling Haaland's winning goal.

What Went Wrong at Old Trafford

Haaland's 60th-minute strike, from a Josko Gvardiol cross, was initially ruled out for offside on the field. VAR overturned that call after semi-automated technology showed Haaland was onside by roughly three centimetres, thanks to United defender Patrick Dorgu's position. What the review missed was teammate Enzo Fernández, who was standing offside and dived to try to head the same cross, appearing to affect United defender Lisandro Martínez.

Webb Explains the Error

Chief refereeing officer Howard Webb addressed the error on the Premier League's "Match Officials: Mic'd Up" programme, explaining that Donohue became fixated on Haaland's position alone. Webb described the lapse as a case of tunnel vision, saying Donohue's attention narrowed entirely onto Haaland and that it fell to the rest of the VAR team to broaden his focus back out, something that did not happen in the moment. He also confirmed that Pro Ref had already contacted Manchester United to acknowledge the mistake, and admitted he was left deeply disappointed by how the situation played out.

No Change to the Result

Donohue and Antrobus will not return to Premier League duty until after the international break, per the decision made by Webb and the Pro Ref management team. The result itself is unaffected: City's 1-0 win at Old Trafford stands, keeping them level on points (12) with Arsenal at the top of the early table. Donohue, who made his top-flight officiating debut in 2024, and Antrobus remain part of the wider VAR pool.