VAR error by Matt Donohue decides Manchester derby at Old Trafford on September 13, 2026
A VAR decision made by Matt Donohue in London altered the result of the Premier League derby between Manchester United and Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday, September 13, 2026, as 10-man City won 1-0. Michael Oliver was pictured about to award Manchester City’s first goal following a VAR review.
The VAR chief was operating from Stockley Park, roughly 200 miles from Old Trafford, and his intervention overturned an on-field position that had initially been judged correctly by the match officials. Enzo Fernandez, standing in an offside position, attempted to steer in Josko Gvardiol’s ball before Erling Haaland ultimately scored the decisive goal, but Donohue felt otherwise and the review stood.
The KMI panel and Pro Ref have admitted that more than 10 mistakes have been committed either on field or at the VAR hub this season. The committee also cited the incident involving Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker’s foul on Nottingham Forest defender Neco Williams as an example where errors were acknowledged on field but judged not “clear and obvious” for VAR to overturn.
Manchester United, managed by Michael Carrick, lost what the club believe would have been a point because of the VAR intervention; the match ended 1-0 in City’s favour. The outcome allowed 10-man Manchester City to return home with the victory, described in the report as a result aided by a ‘helping hand’ from Matt Donohue.
The article notes that such erroneous decisions on Key Match Incidents are recurring more often than they should and that the league must be bothered by the increasing error count. With the technological resources available to referees, the piece states the officials must simply do better.
The KMI panel and Pro Ref’s admissions of over 10 mistakes this season remain on record, and the report concludes that the debate over VAR interventions and their impact on match results will continue to be a pressing issue for the league and its refereeing bodies.
