No weekend game for Manchester derby VAR officials

What the report says

BBC Sport Football reports that the Premier League refereeing body, Pro Ref, has left video assistant referee Matt Donohue and assistant VAR Blake Antrobus off the appointments list for this weekend’s Premier League matches. The move was taken by chief refereeing officer Howard Webb and the management team after the controversy surrounding Manchester City’s late first-half winning goal in Sunday’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford.

Pro Ref has already acknowledged an “error of judgement” in how the incident was handled. The goal, scored by Erling Haaland, was initially ruled out on the field for offside before VAR intervention overturned that decision. The debate then focused on whether another City player, Enzo Fernandez, was affecting play while in an offside position. According to the refereeing body, he did not touch the ball, but the VAR should have recommended a pitchside review because the impact of his position was not properly assessed.

The result kept Manchester City’s perfect start to the Premier League season intact, while Manchester United were left frustrated after a match in which City also had Phil Foden sent off. The episode has renewed scrutiny of VAR decision-making and the transparency of refereeing explanations in English football. BBC Sport notes that the broader discussion continues around how much live audio or detail fans receive after major VAR incidents.