The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), led by chief refereeing officer Howard Webb, has removed VAR officials Matt Donohue and Blake Antrobus from the next round of Premier League fixtures. This disciplinary action stems from a review of the Manchester derby, where the officials allowed a goal scored by Manchester City’s Erling Haaland that has since been deemed a mistake.

The decision to stand the officials down was made by Webb and his management team following an assessment of the weekend's officiating performance. While the officials will not be involved in the upcoming round of matches, their status will be reviewed again following the international break. The report from The Guardian notes that the officials were informed of this decision directly by the governing body, Pro Ref, as part of the standard review process for officiating errors in the league.

This incident highlights the ongoing scrutiny surrounding the implementation and accuracy of the Video Assistant Referee system in English football. While the specific nature of the error—whether it involved a technical oversight or a misinterpretation of the rules—was not detailed in the report, the removal of the officials signals that the league management considers the mistake significant enough to warrant a temporary suspension from duty.