The video assistant referee (VAR) officials involved in the recent Manchester derby have been removed from this weekend's Premier League assignments. Matt Donohue, the VAR, and his assistant Blake Antrobus will not officiate any matches.
This decision comes after Pro Ref, the organization responsible for Premier League referees, admitted to an "error of judgement" regarding a goal awarded to Manchester City during their match against Manchester United. The goal in question was Erling Haaland's 60th-minute strike, which was initially disallowed for offside but later overturned by VAR.
Pro Ref's statement clarified that while Enzo Fernandez, a Manchester City midfielder, was in an offside position, he did not play the ball. This meant any offside call was subjective. However, the VAR "did not recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review," according to Pro Ref.
The victory maintained Manchester City's perfect start to the league season, despite playing with 10 men for a significant portion of the game after Phil Foden received a red card in the 23rd minute. The debated goal was crucial in securing the result.