VAR official Matt Donohue is set to return to Premier League duty this weekend, weeks after he and assistant Blake Antrobus incorrectly allowed Erling Haaland's winning goal for Manchester City against Manchester United in the September Manchester derby.

Donohue will serve as assistant VAR when Coventry host Fulham on Saturday — his first involvement in a top-flight match since the controversial incident at Old Trafford on September 13.

What went wrong at Old Trafford

In the 59th minute, Haaland tapped in a cross to hand 10-man Manchester City the lead. The on-field assistant flagged offside against Haaland, but semi-automated technology determined he was onside by three centimetres and the goal was awarded.

The problem centred on Manchester City midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who was visibly offside and lunged toward the same cross. Although Fernandez did not make contact with the ball, his movement appeared to affect Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez's ability to challenge — a situation that, under the laws of the game, should have triggered a disallowed goal.

Pro Ref's chief refereeing officer Howard Webb described Donohue as developing "tunnel vision," fixating on whether Haaland was offside rather than assessing the full attacking possession phase. Webb said the wider VAR team should have intervened but did not, and he described himself as "really disappointed" by the outcome. Webb concluded: "This goal should have been disallowed."

Pro Ref's apology and review

Hours after Manchester City's victory, Professional Game Match Officials Limited (Pro Ref) released a statement acknowledging an "error of judgment" and confirmed it had contacted Manchester United directly. The statement noted that while Fernandez did not play the ball — making the offside offence subjective — the VAR "did not recognise the likely impact of his position and should have recommended an on-field review."

The Premier League Match Centre had initially explained the decision by stating the VAR confirmed Fernandez "didn't play the ball" and therefore no offside offence was committed. Pro Ref's subsequent statement contradicted that framing, acknowledging the decision fell short of the required standard.

Antrobus returns first, Donohue follows

Donohue has not officiated in the Premier League since the derby. He did, however, return to refereeing duties in the EFL, taking charge of Championship fixtures between Derby and Wrexham on October 10 and Southampton against Bolton last weekend.

Antrobus made his Premier League return ahead of Donohue, officiating as an assistant referee during Newcastle's home fixture against Aston Villa last Saturday.

Pundits united in criticism

Sky Sports analysts were unsparing in their assessment. Gary Neville predicted Pro Ref would issue a public apology and noted that Fernandez was "attempting to play the ball and putting Lisandro Martinez off." Jamie Carragher said officials had "become obsessed with Haaland being onside" and neglected to scrutinise Fernandez's influence on the passage of play.

Micah Richards argued the error compounded an already difficult day for match officials, pointing also to a disputed Phil Foden decision in the same match. Roy Keane was equally forthright: "Fernandez is interfering with play. United have been punished for holding a good line."