The controversy surrounding the VAR decision to allow Erling Haaland's winner in the Manchester derby has continued for days. Video assistant referee Matt Donohue and his assistant Blake Antrobus failed to notice Enzo Fernandez was offside before heading the ball. The goal was awarded, and Manchester City beat Manchester United 1-0. Donohue's urgent calls to "go, go, go" led to a rushed, chaotic review instead of a calm, methodical one.

The Premier League has prioritized reducing VAR delays, with average review times dropping from 46 to 36 seconds per season. However, this push for speed created pressure that may have contributed to the error. Referees' chief Howard Webb acknowledges the balancing act between speed and accuracy.

City boss Enzo Maresca showed some sympathy, noting that quick decisions are difficult. "Sometimes they make mistakes," he said. The failure to assess the full attacking phase before checking offside was a critical procedural error. Antrobus's inadequate input, simply saying "no, yeah" before the final decision, compounded the mistake. A similar rushed review also led to Arsenal's penalty not being awarded at Aston Villa.