VAR Officials Dropped: Matt Donohue Axed from Premier League Weekend

VAR Officials Matt Donohue and Blake Antrobus Dropped from Premier League Weekend After Manchester Derby Error

Matt Donohue (VAR) and Blake Antrobus (assistant VAR) have not been appointed for this weekend's Premier League games following Pro Ref's admission of an "error of judgement" in awarding Erling Haaland's winning goal for Manchester City at Manchester United on Sunday.

Who: VAR Matt Donohue and assistant VAR Blake Antrobus
What: Not appointed for this weekend's Premier League games
Why: Pro Ref admitted an "error of judgement" in awarding Erling Haaland's winning goal for Manchester City at Manchester United
Decision makers: Pro Ref's chief refereeing officer Howard Webb and the management team
Match: Manchester United vs Manchester City at Old Trafford
Goal: Erling Haaland scored in the 60th minute to maintain City's 100% league record from four games

The video assistant referee for the Manchester derby, Matt Donohue, and his assistant VAR, Blake Antrobus, have not been appointed for this weekend's Premier League games. The decision was made by the Premier League refereeing body Pro Ref's chief refereeing officer Howard Webb and the management team. It follows Pro Ref admitting to an "error of judgement" in awarding Erling Haaland's winning goal for Manchester City at Manchester United on Sunday.

The striker scored in the 60th minute at Old Trafford when he turned in a shot at the back post from Josko Gvardiol's cross. His effort was initially disallowed on the field for offside but, following VAR intervention, the goal was awarded as the Norwegian was ruled to have been played onside by Patrick Dorgu's boot.

However, there was debate as to whether the goal should have been disallowed for City midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who was in an offside position, interfering with play as he dived attempting to head the ball in a central position before Haaland's finish.

Pro Ref said in a statement: "It was established that Enzo Fernandez did not play the ball and therefore that makes any offside offence subjective. However, on this occasion, the VAR did not recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review."

City, who had Phil Foden sent off after 23 minutes, maintained their 100% league record from four games with the victory.

What was said

"It was established that Enzo Fernandez did not play the ball and therefore that makes any offside offence subjective."
— Pro Ref statement

"However, on this occasion, the VAR did not recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review."
— Pro Ref statement

Pro Ref's statement is a direct admission that Donohue failed to recognise the impact of Enzo Fernandez's position. The body's decision to drop both officials for the upcoming weekend is a clear attempt to maintain confidence in the VAR process.

The statement also clarifies that because Fernandez did not touch the ball, the offside offence was subjective. This distinction is crucial: it suggests that while the on-field decision was not objectively wrong, the VAR should still have recommended a review to allow the referee to assess the interference.

The numbers

60th minute: Erling Haaland scored the winning goal.
23rd minute: Phil Foden was sent off.
4 games: Manchester City have won all four league games this season.
2 officials: Matt Donohue and Blake Antrobus have not been appointed for this weekend's Premier League games.

Why the VAR call was always going to be controversial

The key issue was not whether Erling Haaland was onside — he was, played on by Patrick Dorgu's boot. The problem was Enzo Fernandez's position. The City midfielder was in an offside position and dived to head Josko Gvardiol's cross. Even though he did not touch the ball, his action influenced the defenders and goalkeeper.

Pro Ref's statement confirms that VAR Matt Donohue should have recommended an on-field review. By not doing so, he denied the referee the chance to judge whether Fernandez was interfering with play. That is a subjective call, and the protocol demands that subjective offside offences are reviewed on the pitch.

The decision to drop Donohue and Blake Antrobus for this weekend is a significant move by Howard Webb. It shows that accountability exists, but it also raises questions about consistency. Will every VAR error lead to a demotion, or is this a one-off response to the high-profile nature of the Manchester derby?

Talking points

Should VAR officials be publicly dropped after errors, or does it undermine confidence in the system?
Was Enzo Fernandez genuinely interfering, or is this another case of over-analysing marginal offsides?
Did Phil Foden's 23rd-minute red card make the VAR decision more consequential?
Is Howard Webb's management team right to act so quickly, or is this a kneejerk reaction?

What happens next

Matt Donohue and Blake Antrobus will not be involved in this weekend's Premier League games. Pro Ref has not announced when they will return to duty. The focus now shifts to the next round of fixtures and whether the standard of VAR decision-making improves without them. Manchester City, meanwhile, continue their 100% start to the season, having won all four league games, and will look to extend that run in their next match.

Frequently asked questions

Who is the VAR for the Manchester derby?

Matt Donohue was the video assistant referee, with Blake Antrobus as his assistant VAR.

Why was Erling Haaland's goal awarded?

The goal was initially disallowed for offside but was awarded after VAR intervention because Haaland was played onside by Patrick Dorgu's boot. Pro Ref later admitted an error of judgement as Enzo Fernandez, who was in an offside position, was not reviewed for interference.