VAR official Matt Donohue set for Premier League return after wrongly awarding Erling Haaland winner vs Man Utd

The VAR who incorrectly awarded Erling Haaland's winner in last month's Manchester derby has been reinstated to Premier League duty.

Matt Donohue and assistant Blake Antrobus failed to judge that Manchester City midfielder Enzo Fernandez was offside and interfering with play during the incident at Old Trafford on September 13.

Donohue is set to return to the Premier League and will serve as assistant VAR when Coventry host Fulham on Saturday.

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He has not featured in any of the three match rounds since the incident, while Antrobus made his first appearance since the derby as an assistant referee for Newcastle's home fixture against Aston Villa last Saturday.

Donohue has officiated in the EFL since the derby, refereeing Championship matches between Derby and Wrexham on October 10 and Southampton vs Bolton last weekend.

Pro Ref's chief refereeing officer Howard Webb said Donohue developed "tunnel vision" by focusing on whether Haaland was offside, and added that the team around him should have helped pull him out of it. Sky Sports News reported United received an apology over the incorrect VAR decision.

How the Haaland incident unfolded

In the 59th minute, Haaland tapped in a cross to give 10-man Man City the lead, but the goal was ruled out on-field after the assistant referee signalled for offside on the striker.

The semi-automated offside technology ruled Haaland onside, so the goal stood, but City midfielder Enzo Fernandez was clearly offside when he dived to reach the same cross.

Although he didn't touch the ball, Fernandez's movement appeared to affect Man Utd's Lisandro Martinez's defending before Haaland's back-post finish, which, under the laws of the game, should have meant the goal was disallowed.

What happened next?

In their post on X explaining why the goal was awarded, the Premier League Match Centre wrote: "VAR checked the referee's call of no goal for offside - and determined that Haaland was in an onside position and recommended that the goal was awarded.

"The VAR also deemed that while in an offside position, Fernandez didn't play the ball."

However, in a statement released hours after Man City's win, Pro Ref said it had contacted Man Utd to acknowledge an "error of judgment" and that the VAR "should have recommended an on-field review" for Haaland's winner.

A Pro Ref spokesperson said: "Following the incident in the 60th minute of Sunday's Premier League fixture between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford, we can provide clarification regarding Erling Haaland's awarded goal.

"The on-field decision was offside against Erling Haaland - that was checked by VAR and he was found to be in an onside position.

"In the same attack, 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.

"Contact has been made with Manchester United this evening to acknowledge what we deem is an error of judgement. A review of the incident will take place."

Webb: VAR had tunnel vision

On Match Officials Mic'd Up, Webb said he was "really disappointed" by the decision and added: "The on-field decision was not against Fernandez; it was against Haaland. When the VAR starts their check, they see that Haaland is actually onside by three centimetres.

"The VAR gets super focused on Haaland. He establishes he is onside but when he runs it through the full APP (attacking possession phase), he doesn't truly evaluate the full impact of Fernandez.

"In that moment, he gets tunnel vision but it is down to the rest of his team to pull him out of that tunnel but unfortunately, that did not happen on this occasion. This goal should have been disallowed."

What the officials said at Old Trafford...

Assistant referee: "Enzo, Enzo."

Referee: "Deflection."

VAR: "Possible offside."

Assistant referee: "I'm going to go offside, Haaland."

Referee: "On-field decision is offside."

VAR: "Checking the on-field decision of offside against Haaland. He's tight. He's onside, so now we need to check the full attacking possession phase (APP).

"Haaland's in an onside position, but I need to check the full APP. Go back to see if [Iliman] Ndiaye is onside when it is flicked. Yes. Go, go, go, so it should be a goal.

"No touch there [from Enzo Fernandez], confirm no touch. Clear gap. It's not a touch there, is it? Goal.

"Michael, confirming that you need to change your decision to goal. Haaland is in an onside position. Final decision is goal; check complete."

What the pundits said

Sky Sports' Gary Neville predicted Pro Ref would issue a public apology for the mistake, but their statement fell short. He said: "We will see an apology from Pro Ref. There is no doubt that Enzo is attempting to play the ball and putting Lisandro Martinez off.

"It's a really strange one. They'll recognise they got that wrong."

Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher: "It's a bad one. We all look at it and it looks offside. Haaland looks offside but we know he's not. Then when you break it down, it is poor from the officials.

"It seems to me they've become obsessed with Haaland being onside. They haven't gone into as much detail with Fernandez in the middle and understanding of his impact on it."

Sky Sports' Micah Richards: "One hundred per cent [Fernandez is interfering]. It's been a bad day for referees and VAR.

"They got the Phil Foden decision wrong, and they got this decision wrong. How can you not say Enzo Fernandez is challenging for the ball? Of course he is.

"I've been in that position as a defender where any slight movement can make the difference for going for the ball or not, so of course it affects him. They've got it so wrong."

Sky Sports' Roy Keane: "Fernandez is interfering with play. Basically, United have been punished for holding a good line. When you are in that position, you are impacting the game. You're in the middle of the box, you're going for the ball.

"Their line is good. Fernandez is offside, and he goes to play the ball, so United are getting punished for good defending."

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