VAR Official Matt Donohue Returns to Premier League After Controversial Decision

Donohue's decision came under scrutiny when he failed to determine that Manchester City midfielder Enzo Fernandez was offside and interfering with play before Haaland scored. He has not officiated in any Premier League matches since the incident, while assistant Blake Antrobus returned to his duties as an assistant referee for Newcastle's match against Aston Villa last Saturday.

Since the Manchester derby, Donohue has officiated in the EFL, including Championship matches between Derby and Wrexham on October 10 and Southampton against Bolton last weekend.

Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer for Pro Ref, criticized Donohue for what he described as "tunnel vision," focusing solely on Haaland's position without considering the implications of Fernandez's offside. Following the controversial decision, Manchester United received an apology from Pro Ref regarding the VAR error.

In the match, Haaland scored in the 59th minute after tapping in a cross, with the on-field assistant referee signaling for offside. While the semi-automated offside technology ruled Haaland onside, it was later acknowledged that Fernandez was in an offside position when he interfered with United defender Lisandro Martinez.

Pro Ref issued a clarification on the incident, recognizing an "error of judgment" in the VAR process and stating that Donohue should have recommended that the on-field officials review the play.

In discussing the incident, Webb expressed disappointment, noting that while Haaland was onside by three centimeters, the VAR failed to adequately assess Fernandez's impact. Other experts have also remarked that the officials seemed overly focused on Haaland's position, neglecting the influence of Fernandez's actions in the box, with several commentators asserting that Fernandez's movement should have resulted in the goal being disallowed.