VAR official Matt Donohue and his assistant, Blake Antrobus, are officially out of this weekend’s Premier League games. This isn’t some minor scheduling shuffle, folks. No, this is the direct result of a massive screw-up in the biggest rivalry game, a decision so baffling that the Premier League’s own refereeing body, Pro Ref, had to step in and admit a huge “error of judgement.” Howard Webb, Pro Ref’s chief refereeing officer, and his management team pulled the trigger, sidelining both officials after their controversial call in the Manchester derby.
The Call That Shocked The Derby
We’re talking about the Manchester derby, people. That electric atmosphere, the tension, every single call under the microscope. Erling Haaland, the dude just always seems to be in the right place, scored for Manchester City in the 60th minute at Old Trafford. It was a classic striker’s finish, tapping in a shot at the back post from Josko Gvardiol’s cross. You know the drill, the crowd goes wild, then the flag goes up. Initially, the on-field call was offside, bringing a collective groan or cheer depending on your colors. But then, as always, VAR steps in, supposedly to bring clarity. After their review, the goal was awarded, ruling Haaland onside thanks to a quick check of Patrick Dorgu’s boot. Goal City, game on!
The Real Mistake, And The Consequences
But hold up, that wasn’t the end of it, was it? The true head-scratcher, the one that landed Donohue and Antrobus on the bench, centered on another City player: Enzo Fernandez. This guy was in an offside position, diving to head the ball centrally *before* Haaland even got his foot on it. The question, the absolute crux of the “error of judgement,” was whether Fernandez interfered with play. Pro Ref broke it down for everyone, stating, “It was established that Enzo Fernandez did not play the ball and therefore that makes any offside offence subjective.” That’s code for “it’s complicated,” right? But then they dropped the hammer: “However, on this occasion, the VAR did not recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review.” They missed the *impact*. They should have sent the ref to the monitor for another look, letting the on-field official make the final judgment. That’s the job!
This game was a huge win for City, keeping their 100% league record going from four games. And remember, they even played most of the game with 10 men after Phil Foden got sent off early, just 23 minutes in! Every call felt amplified. Former player Wayne Rooney even said refereeing decisions were “baffling.” And honestly, when you have a situation like this, where VAR, meant to fix errors, becomes the source of an “error of judgement” itself, you start to understand why fans get so frustrated.
So, here we are. Two officials sidelined, a league admitting a major mistake, and every fan wondering if these behind-the-scenes calls are really making the game better. The integrity of the game, especially in high-stakes derbies, relies on these officials getting it right. When they don’t, and the league acknowledges it, it just puts more pressure on every single call this coming weekend. Every fan in every stadium will be watching those screens even closer now, hoping for clear, consistent officiating. The game demands accuracy, and when it doesn’t get it, the league has to act. And they did.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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