The refereeing body responsible for Premier League officials, Pro Ref, has stood down Video Assistant Referee (VAR) Matt Donohue and assistant VAR Blake Antrobus following the controversial decision that allowed Erling Haaland’s winning goal in Manchester City’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United.
The decision comes one day after Pro Ref admitted that the VAR team made an “error of judgment” when it overturned the original on-field offside decision during Sunday’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford.
Donohue and Antrobus will not be involved in the next round of Premier League fixtures after the refereeing body reviewed the incident. Reuters reported that both officials are expected to remain away from Premier League duty at least until after the international break.
The disciplinary action adds another chapter to one of the most contentious refereeing incidents of the early 2026/27 Premier League season.
How the Haaland Goal Became Controversial
Manchester City secured a 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday, with Haaland scoring the decisive goal in the second half.
However, the goal initially did not count.
The on-field officials ruled Haaland offside when the attack developed, but VAR subsequently reviewed the incident and overturned the decision.
The review determined that Haaland himself was in an onside position, with Manchester United defender Patrick Dorgu effectively playing him onside.
That part of the decision was correct.
The problem was another Manchester City player involved in the same attacking move.
Enzo Fernandez was in an offside position as he attempted to reach the ball before it arrived at Haaland. Although Fernandez did not make contact with the ball, Pro Ref later concluded that his position and movement potentially affected the Manchester United defenders.
That distinction proved crucial.
Under the offside laws, a player does not necessarily have to touch the ball to commit an offence. An offside player can be penalised if they interfere with an opponent or otherwise become involved in the play in a way that meets the requirements of the law.
Pro Ref acknowledged that this aspect of the situation was not properly assessed by VAR.
Pro Ref Admits the VAR Made an Error
Following the match, Pro Ref acknowledged that the goal should not have been allowed to stand.
The organisation explained that the initial decision was offside against Haaland and that VAR correctly established that the striker was actually onside.
However, the review then had to consider Fernandez's involvement.
Pro Ref said Fernandez was in an offside position and that his involvement made the question of interference subjective. According to the refereeing body, VAR failed to recognise the likely impact of Fernandez's position and should therefore have recommended that referee Michael Oliver conduct an on-field review.
Pro Ref also confirmed that it contacted Manchester United to acknowledge the mistake.
The admission was significant because the decision directly affected the result of the Manchester derby.
Why the Officials Have Been Stood Down
The decision to remove Donohue and Antrobus from the next round of fixtures follows the internal review of the incident.
Reuters reported that chief refereeing officer Howard Webb and the management team made the decision after accepting that the VAR process had failed to properly assess Fernandez's involvement.
Being stood down does not amount to a permanent removal from refereeing. Instead, the officials will be unavailable for Premier League appointments while the incident is reviewed and the refereeing authorities assess what went wrong.
The move nevertheless demonstrates the seriousness with which Pro Ref is treating the incident.
The controversy is particularly significant because VAR is designed to correct major errors rather than create additional uncertainty over decisive decisions.
The Key Issue Was Not Haaland's Position
One of the most important details in the controversy is that Haaland was not actually offside.
The original on-field decision against the Manchester City striker was incorrect, and VAR was right to identify that.
The problem emerged when officials considered Fernandez.
Sky Sports reported that the VAR process appeared to focus heavily on whether Fernandez actually played the ball. The midfielder attempted to reach it but did not make contact.
However, the absence of a touch does not automatically settle an offside question.
The more important issue was whether Fernandez's position and attempt to play the ball interfered with the Manchester United defence.
Pro Ref subsequently acknowledged that the VAR failed to recognise the likely impact of his position.
That is why the refereeing body concluded that an on-field review should have taken place.
VAR could establish that Haaland was onside, but the question concerning Fernandez involved a subjective judgment. In such circumstances, Pro Ref said Michael Oliver should have been given the opportunity to review the incident himself.
Why Michael Oliver Was Not Sent to the Monitor
The incident has also raised questions about the role of the on-field referee.
Michael Oliver was the referee for the Manchester derby, while Donohue operated VAR and Antrobus served as assistant VAR.
Once VAR established that Haaland was onside, the officials still had to determine whether Fernandez's position constituted an offside offence.
Rather than recommending an on-field review, the VAR team allowed the goal to stand.
Pro Ref's subsequent admission effectively confirmed that this was the critical mistake.
The issue was not simply that the officials reached a controversial subjective conclusion. According to Pro Ref, the VAR failed to recognise the potential impact of Fernandez's position and therefore failed to recommend that Oliver make the final subjective assessment.
That distinction is important because VAR is not intended to replace the referee's judgment in every subjective situation.
Manchester United Left Frustrated
The decision understandably generated frustration inside the Manchester United camp.
The goal came during a match in which Manchester City had already been reduced to 10 men following Phil Foden's red card.
United therefore had a significant opportunity to take advantage of City's numerical disadvantage.
Instead, Haaland's goal ultimately decided the game.
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick criticised the decision after the match, while the subsequent admission from Pro Ref reinforced the feeling within the club that the goal should have been disallowed.
For United, the issue goes beyond a normal disagreement with a referee.
The Premier League side lost the match by a single goal, and the goal that separated the teams has now been officially acknowledged as an error by the organisation overseeing the competition's referees.
Manchester City Still Keep the Victory
Despite the admission, there is no replay and Manchester City's 1-0 victory remains the official result.
VAR errors do not lead to matches being replayed simply because an incorrect decision affected the outcome.
That means City's three points remain intact.
Haaland's goal also remains part of the official match record, even though Pro Ref has subsequently confirmed that the decision to award it was wrong.
The situation illustrates one of the difficult realities of VAR: technology can identify certain factual questions with considerable precision, but some decisions still depend on human interpretation.
In this case, the technology helped establish that Haaland was onside. It was the human assessment of Fernandez's involvement that proved decisive.
The Broader VAR Debate
The incident has reignited the wider debate about VAR and whether the technology is making football decisions clearer or more complicated.
The Premier League is using semi-automated offside technology during the 2026/27 season. The system assists officials in determining player positions, but subjective questions about interference still require human judgment.
That means technology cannot completely eliminate controversy.
The Haaland incident demonstrates the difference between determining where a player was standing and determining whether that player's actions affected an opponent.
The first can be heavily supported by technology.
The second still requires officials to interpret what happened.
That is precisely where Pro Ref says the VAR team failed.
What Happens to Donohue and Antrobus Now?
For now, Donohue and Antrobus have been removed from Premier League appointments for the upcoming round of fixtures.
Reuters reported that they are expected to remain away from Premier League duty at least until after the international break.
The decision gives Pro Ref time to assess the incident and determine whether additional measures are required.
The organisation has already acknowledged the error and apologised to Manchester United through its direct contact with the club.
The bigger question will be whether the review results in changes to VAR procedures, training or decision-making protocols.
A Costly Error in a High-Profile Match
The incident has become particularly damaging because it happened in one of English football's biggest fixtures.
Manchester United and Manchester City have one of the most watched rivalries in world football, meaning every major refereeing decision attracts enormous attention.
A VAR error in an ordinary league match would already generate debate. A VAR error that determines the only goal in a Manchester derby carries far greater consequences.
Pro Ref's decision to stand down the officials shows that the governing body recognises the seriousness of the situation.
The controversy, however, is unlikely to disappear simply because the officials have been removed from the next round of fixtures.
The central question remains whether VAR can consistently distinguish between a player who is merely in an offside position and one whose actions or presence materially interfere with an opponent.
In the Haaland incident, Pro Ref has now provided a clear answer on the outcome: the goal should not have been awarded.
Manchester City keep the points, Haaland keeps the goal in the official record, and Manchester United must move forward. But for the refereeing authorities, the incident has become another major test of whether VAR is being used with the consistency and judgment that Premier League matches demand.
