Severe penalty for Manchester derby error; two referees sidelined until October 10.

The controversy surrounding Manchester City's winning goal in last Sunday's Manchester derby at Old Trafford has had repercussions for the match officials involved. Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body governing English Premier League referees, has acknowledged that the decision to allow Erling Haaland's goal to stand was incorrect. Following this error, VAR referee Matt Donohue and assistant referee Blake Antrobus have not been assigned duties for any Premier League matches this week.

A dispute arose regarding whether City midfielder Enzo Fernandez was in an offside position prior to Haaland's goal in the Manchester derby. According to PGMOL, the VAR failed to properly assess the impact Fernandez's position might have had on the game.

PGMOL's assessment indicates that, in that situation, the on-field referee should have been advised to conduct an on-field review to reconsider the decision. However, even after the video review, VAR referee Matt Donohue upheld the on-field decision, a move supported by assistant referee Blake Antrobus.

Donohue removed from duty following the error

British media outlet *The Times* reported that following the decision in the Manchester derby, Howard Webb, PGMOL's chief refereeing officer, decided to remove Donohue from officiating duties until the international break.

According to the Press Association, with the international break following this week's fixtures, neither Donohue nor Antrobus will be able to officiate in any Premier League matches before October 10.

Donohue was promoted to the EFL assistant referees' list in 2014. He subsequently made his debut as a Premier League referee in May 2024. For the past two years, he had also been regularly assigned duties as a VAR referee.

Antrobus has also not been assigned to any matches this week. Pressure Mounts on PGMOL

Pressure is mounting on PGMOL due to a series of controversial refereeing decisions in recent times. The incident in 2023, where a Liverpool goal against Tottenham Hotspur was erroneously disallowed, remains a topic of discussion; the organization faced severe criticism following the decision made by VAR official Darren England in that match.

Internal sources within the refereeing community view the events surrounding the Manchester derby as one of the most challenging periods for PGMOL in the last three years. *The Times* has reported that Donohue could be sidelined from officiating Manchester United matches for a period of time—a measure similar to the one taken after Darren England's error.

Overall, the decision to remove two match officials from duty following a controversial VAR call has sparked fresh debate regarding refereeing in English football.