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VAR officials suspended after City-United call overturned Haaland goal

By Drooid · Sep 14, 2026, 10:09 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Referee Board Suspends VAR

England's Professional Referees' Board suspended VAR Matt Donohue and assistant Blake Antrobus after the Manchester City-Manchester United derby.
They allowed Erling Haaland’s second-half winner, overturning an initial offside decision.
The VAR team missed Enzo Fernandez’s offside impact, which the Professional Referees' Board called an error of judgement.
They will miss fixtures until after the international break while a review is promised.

Summary

Arteta Demands Explanation

VAR officials ruled Haaland’s goal on-side because United defender Patrick Dorgu’s boot was outstretched.
A 2024 club vote kept VAR, passing 19-1 with Wolverhampton Wanderers as the sole dissenting club.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta announced his club will formally request an explanation from Pro Ref over the incident.
Wayne Rooney publicly condemned VAR as “horrendous” after the derby decision.

History

Historical Context

VAR debuted on 21 September 2016 and proved successful at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where 22 of 169 goals came from penalties. The Premier League adopted the system for the 2019-20 season, but early matches were described as confusing and criticism persisted through 2022. Ongoing disputes have prompted officials and clubs to demand tighter oversight.

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Referee Board Suspends VAR

England's Professional Referees' Board suspended VAR Matt Donohue and assistant Blake Antrobus after the Manchester City-Manchester United derby.
They allowed Erling Haaland’s second-half winner, overturning an initial offside decision.
The VAR team missed Enzo Fernandez’s offside impact, which the Professional Referees' Board called an error of judgement.
They will miss fixtures until after the international break while a review is promised.

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