Pressure for quick VAR decisions obvious in rushed derby review

The VAR review that followed the derby goal was completed in the shortest possible time, a pace that did not excuse omitted steps. The haste exposed a critical error by officials Donohue and Antrobus. While speed played a role, the more serious procedural flaw occurred earlier when Donohue attempted to clear the attacking phase. Donohue instructed the replay operator to freeze the footage at the moment Josko Gvardiol touched the ball to cross into the penalty area, then immediately switched to the semi‑automated offside system. This approach bypassed the required full assessment. The VAR team should have examined the entire sequence—from the cross to Haaland’s head—to gauge Fernandez’s positioning and influence. Instead, they waited until the attacking phase was reviewed before considering events inside the penalty box. At that point, Donohue and Antrobus focused solely on whether Fernandez had touched the ball. Had they done so, a new phase would have been established, potentially placing Haaland offside. Donohue has borne the brunt of the criticism, yet Antrobus’s involvement—or lack thereof—was equally significant. The AVAR’s contribution to the review consisted of uttering “no, yeah” regarding the possible interaction by Fernandez. This comment came just one second before Donohue declared, “final determination is goal, cheque complete.” Antrobus’s role is to provide checks and balances, ensuring the VAR has not overlooked any detail; in this instance, that duty fell short. Only one prolonged VAR review has occurred this season, in the match between Brentford and Sunderland, where Dan Ballard’s goal was disallowed for a subjective offside against Kevin Danso. Antrobus served as the AVAR in that game as well, drawing considerable media criticism for the delay, which lasted approximately four minutes. It remains uncertain whether that experience influenced his actions on Sunday. Ironically, Antrobus previously assisted VAR official Tim Wood in reaching the correct offside decision against Danso. Additionally, the operational VAR, stationed beside the match hub at Stockley Park and empowered to intervene on protocol matters, was aware of the unfolding review but took no action. Had any intervention occurred between the goal being scored and the kickoff, the outcome might have been salvaged.