VAR OFFICIALS PUNISHED FOR HAALAND'S CONTROVERSIAL GOAL

Two Premier League video officials have been removed from the upcoming round of fixtures following the controversial decision that allowed Erling Haaland’s winning goal to stand in Manchester City’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford.

VAR official Matt Donohue and assistant VAR Blake Antrobus have been stood down after Professional Game Referees (Pro Ref) admitted that the decision to award Haaland’s 60th-minute goal was an “error of judgment.”

Their return to Premier League assignments will be considered after the next international break, in a move that underlines the seriousness with which the refereeing body has treated the incident.

The controversy began when Haaland appeared to have put City ahead from Josko Gvardiol’s cross. The assistant referee initially flagged for offside, but a VAR check established that Haaland himself had been kept onside by the position of Manchester United defender Patrick Dorgu.

The review, however, did not stop there. City midfielder Enzo Fernández was also in an offside position and had attempted to reach the cross with a diving header before Haaland finished at the far post.

Although Fernández did not make contact with the ball, his movement became central to the controversy. United defender Lisandro Martínez moved towards Fernández, while the midfielder’s attempt to play the ball also affected the goalkeeper’s view and the defensive positioning around Haaland.

The VAR team concluded that Fernández had not played the ball and therefore did not commit an automatic offside offence. Pro Ref later acknowledged that the officials failed to properly assess whether his position and movement had interfered with the play.

“The VAR did not recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review,” Pro Ref said in its assessment of the incident.

The refereeing body also confirmed that it had contacted Manchester United to acknowledge what it described as an error of judgment and said the incident would be reviewed.

The decision has triggered strong criticism from figures connected to Manchester United and the wider football community.

United manager Michael Carrick said he could not understand how the decision was reached despite the number of officials and technology involved.

“I just don’t get it, I really don’t get it,” Carrick said after the match, questioning why additional layers of review had failed to produce what he considered the correct decision.

Martínez, who was directly involved in the defensive sequence involving Fernández, was equally critical. He argued that he had moved towards Fernández because of the midfielder’s position, leaving Haaland with more space at the back post.

“I went to him because he was in front of me. That’s why Haaland was free at the back,” Martínez said, describing the outcome as an “injustice.”

Former United striker Wayne Rooney also criticised the decision, arguing that Fernández’s attempt to reach the ball should have been enough to raise concerns about his involvement in the play.

“I am so sick of VAR,” Rooney said on BBC’s Match of the Day, calling the decision “horrendous.”

Former United captain Gary Neville similarly called for a major examination of the incident, saying he was so confused by the decision that he needed the offside rule explained to him.

The controversy has also revived a broader debate over the role of VAR in football. Football presenter Joe Morrison argued that technology should support rather than overshadow the referee on the pitch, calling for greater use of pitch-side monitors.

He also suggested that referees and VAR officials should be more publicly accountable for controversial decisions, including through post-match explanations.

The Haaland incident is not the only VAR-related controversy to emerge during the early stages of the 2026-27 Premier League campaign.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was also angered by a penalty awarded against his side in their 2-0 win over Sunderland. Although goalkeeper David Raya saved the resulting spot-kick, Arteta questioned why VAR did not intervene after replays appeared to show both players involved in the incident pulling each other.

Other recent decisions, including the awarding of a Harry Maguire goal against Ipswich and a VAR intervention that ruled out a potential Nottingham Forest winner against Tottenham, have added to growing scrutiny of the system.

VAR was introduced to the Premier League in the 2019-20 season with the aim of correcting clear and obvious errors in major decisions involving goals, penalties, direct red cards and mistaken identity.

Instead, its role has remained a regular source of debate among supporters, players, managers and former officials.

A supporters' survey cited by Al Jazeera in March found that 75.7 per cent of nearly 8,000 respondents did not support the continued use of VAR, while 91.7 per cent said the system had taken away from the spontaneous celebrations associated with goals.

Despite the latest controversy, there is no indication that the Premier League intends to abandon VAR. The technology will continue to be used during the ongoing season, although the decision to stand down Donohue and Antrobus signals that refereeing authorities are prepared to take action when serious errors occur.

For Manchester United, however, the admission came too late to change the result. Haaland’s controversial goal gave City a 1-0 derby victory and kept them alongside Arsenal as the only teams to maintain perfect records after four league matches, while United were left 13th with one win, one draw and two defeats.