Football NewsBBC SportUnverified source· 16 Sept 2026
Rushed VAR review let Haaland derby winner stand
A video assistant referee's frantic push for speed led to one of the Premier League's worst VAR mistakes.
Competition
Premier League
Match
Manchester derby
Score
Man City 1-0 Man Utd
VAR
Matt Donohue
Assistant VAR
Blake Antrobus
What happened. VAR Matt Donohue rushed through the review that awarded Erling Haaland's winning goal in the Manchester derby. He and assistant VAR Blake Antrobus failed to spot Enzo Fernandez was three yards offside before he tried to head the ball, and the goal stood in City's 1-0 win over United.
- The review was a panicked, rushed exchange between the VAR and replay operator.
- The Premier League wants a more efficient use of VAR to cut delays.
- Speed of decisions was the key improvement theme in the league's stakeholders' survey.
“Quick, quick, quick, quick! Go, go, go, go, go!”
— Matt Donohue
The error has fuelled days of controversy over how VAR decisions are handled and the pressure officials face to be quicker.
In this story
Manchester City
Manchester United
E. Haaland
