Matt Donohue, the video assistant referee for the Manchester derby, was literally yelling “Quick, quick, quick, quick! Go, go, go, go, go!” as he rushed a review. That frantic urgency led to one of the Premier League’s most catastrophic VAR errors, handing Manchester City a 1-0 win over Manchester United with Erling Haaland’s goal. Seriously, VAR and his assistant, Blake Antrobus, somehow totally missed that Enzo Fernandez was a full three yards offside before he even tried to head the ball. You can’t make this stuff up!
Rushed to Judgment: Speed Kills the Call
The pressure for quick VAR decisions is crystal clear here, and it blew up in their faces. This season, the Premier League made “a more efficient application of VAR to reduce delays” one of its core principles. Everyone’s tired of waiting around, right? Fans, pundits, even radio phone-ins have been screaming that VAR needs to be faster. A Premier League survey, including managers, coaches, and supporters, highlighted the speed of decisions as the key area for improvement. But has the game pushed so hard for speed that it’s just sacrificing accuracy? Donohue’s “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go!” was a panicked exchange, not the calm, collected review you expect. This wasn’t methodical; it was chaotic.
The Catastrophic Process Failure That Changed Everything
City boss Enzo Maresca, who obviously benefited from the gaffe, even had some sympathy after the game. He said, “To make a decision in 10, 20 seconds is not easy for them. Sometimes they make mistakes. I make mistakes, players make mistakes. It’s part of our job.” Sure, Howard Webb, the referees’ chief, is trying to balance faster reviews with getting it right. And hey, the stats show VAR delays have been cut from an average of 46 seconds per game to 36 seconds season-on-season. But here’s the kicker: the only other major VAR mistake this season, the failure to award a penalty to Arsenal at Aston Villa, also arguably happened because the incident was cleared too quickly.
It’s not about skipping steps. Donohue’s critical mistake came before he even tried to rush the attacking phase. He told the replay operator to stop the video on the very first replay, when Josko Gvardiol touched the ball to cross. Then, he immediately went into the semi-automated offside technology. That shouldn’t have happened. The VAR team should have properly assessed the entire attacking phase.
This isn’t just about one game; it’s about the very integrity of how these crucial calls are made. Howard Webb and the Premier League have got a serious tightrope walk ahead. They need to find that balance between keeping the game flowing and getting the calls absolutely right. Otherwise, we’re gonna keep seeing massive gaffes like this, and nobody wants that. Fans just want fair play, plain and simple.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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