Howard Webb faces club revolt as VAR duo axed after Haaland offside howler

Howard Webb is facing his most serious crisis as Pro Ref’s chief refereeing officer after axing the VAR team behind one of the most glaring officiating errors of the Premier League season, with multiple clubs now raising formal concerns about refereeing standards.

VAR officials Matt Donohue and Blake Antrobus have been stood down from next weekend’s Premier League fixtures after failing to disallow Erling Haaland’s winner in the Manchester derby. Pro Ref have already contacted Manchester United to acknowledge an “error of judgment”, having allowed the goal to stand despite Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez being in an offside position and, crucially, interfering with play by drawing the attention of both goalkeeper Senne Lammens and defender Lisandro Martinez.

Martinez described the outcome as an “injustice”, and the incident has drawn comparisons to the wrongful disallowance of Luis Diaz’s goal at Tottenham in 2023 — widely considered the worst VAR error in the competition’s history.

Arsenal have also made contact with Webb after manager Mikel Arteta publicly questioned why referee John Brooks awarded a penalty against Ezri Konsa for a challenge on Sunderland’s Dan Ballard. The club are seeking a formal explanation for the decision, with a broader concern that new directives on penalty-box grappling — introduced at the start of this season — are not being applied consistently across fixtures.

Mirror Sport understands that several Premier League clubs share those concerns, with frustration centring on three issues: inconsistency in applying new rules, the continued occurrence of high-profile errors, and a lack of clarity over how directives are being communicated to officials on the pitch.

While there is acknowledgement among clubs that Webb is committed to driving change and has improved communication with stakeholders, patience with the overall standard of officiating is wearing thin. Webb is expected to face direct questions at the next Premier League shareholders’ meeting and in the next edition of Match Officials Mic’D Up.

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher offered his assessment of the derby error, suggesting the officials became too narrowly focused. “I think they are so focused on whether Fernandez touches the ball — he doesn’t — that they’ve lost focus,” Gallagher said. “He’s clearly gone to head the ball. If you watch, Lammens is the first affected because he goes to make the save, Martinez is dragged away from Haaland because he’s got to go.”

Referee Michael Oliver, who was the on-field official at Old Trafford, has not been sanctioned and is scheduled to take charge of Sunday’s match between Bournemouth and Liverpool, suggesting Pro Ref consider the primary failure to lie with the VAR team rather than the match referee.