VAR Officials Dropped After Haaland Goal Controversy

Two Premier League VAR officials have been left out of the upcoming weekend fixtures after their involvement in the controversial decision to award Erling Haaland's goal during the Manchester derby. VAR official Matt Donohue and assistant VAR Blake Antrobus will both miss the next round of Premier League matches following a review of the incident.

The decision came after Haaland's goal against Manchester United at Old Trafford was initially ruled out for offside. A VAR review overturned the on-field decision and determined that the Manchester City striker was in an onside position when the ball was played into the penalty area. However, the review failed to fully consider another element of the attacking move involving Enzo Fernandez.

Fernandez was in an offside position and moved towards the ball while United defender Lisandro Martinez was attempting to deal with the situation. His movement affected Martinez's ability to intercept the pass or challenge Haaland, who was positioned unmarked at the far post. The refereeing body later determined that this aspect of the play should have been taken into account during the review.

Pro Ref acknowledged that Donohue made an error in failing to recognize the impact of Fernandez's position. The organization concluded that the referee should have been sent to the pitchside monitor to make the final decision rather than having the goal awarded directly following the VAR intervention. Manchester United were subsequently informed of the refereeing error, with the incident set to receive further assessment.

Donohue's absence represents his first omission from a Premier League match this season. The 37-year-old had previously worked as VAR during Brighton's victory over Aston Villa, Sunderland's win against Fulham, and Newcastle United's draw with Bournemouth. Both Donohue and Antrobus are also set to miss this week's League Cup fixtures, although they could return to officiating after the upcoming international break.