The officials, Matt Donohue and his assistant Blake Antrobus, were called upon to check the referee Michael Oliver's decision to disallow Haaland's 60th-minute goal for offside. However, they failed to spot that Enzo Fernández had influenced play from an offside position, an infringement which Pro Ref said should have led them to recommend an on-field review.
Pro Ref has stated that allowing the goal was an 'error of judgment', and have made contact with Manchester United to acknowledge this mistake. The availability of the officials will be reconsidered after the international break, with no appointments for the next round of Premier League fixtures.
The controversy surrounding Haaland's goal has sparked debate about the use of VAR technology in the Premier League. The semi-automated offside technology used by Donohue was able to establish that Haaland was onside, but failed to detect Fernández's offside position. This has raised questions about the effectiveness of the technology and the need for further improvements.
The incident has also highlighted the importance of accurate decision-making in high-pressure situations. The VAR officials' failure to spot the offside infringement has led to a re-evaluation of their performance, and a decision to stand them down from their responsibilities.