Premier League26 min ago1 minute read

Derby VAR Official Returns to Premier League Duty

Matt Donohue returns to Premier League duty this weekend after missing three match rounds following his error in the Manchester derby.

The EagleEyeOdds deskWritten from the match data, checked against our model before it goes out

Back on top flight duty

Matt Donohue is back working Premier League fixtures this weekend. He has been selected as the assistant VAR for Saturday's match between Coventry and Fulham.

Donohue had not featured in the competition for three match rounds. That spell away followed an error during the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on Sept. 13. During that game, Donohue and assistant Blake Antrobus incorrectly awarded a goal to Erling Haaland. The officials failed to spot that Manchester City's Enzo Fernández was offside and interfering with play.

Review and lower league assignments

Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer at Pro Ref, said Donohue developed "tunnel vision" while checking whether Haaland was offside. Webb added that it was the job of the team around Donohue to help pull him out of that tunnel.

Antrobus returned to top flight action last Saturday as an assistant referee for Newcastle against Aston Villa. Donohue worked in the EFL during his time away. He took charge of the Derby against Wrexham fixture on Oct. 10, then refereed Southampton against Bolton last Saturday.

Elsewhere, the Key Match Incidents panel supported a separate VAR call involving Brighton's Pascal Struijk. The five member panel backed the recommendation to send Struijk off against Sunderland on Oct. 10 by a 3 to 2 vote. An independent regulatory commission later overturned that red card for wrongful dismissal. The Premier League stated that the panel and the commission are separate bodies with distinct purposes.

What it means for the next game

Manchester City return to the pitch across two competitions over the coming days. Here are the projections for their next matches.

Aston Villa vs Manchester City (Premier League, Sat, 24 Oct): Aston Villa win 23%, draw 24%, Manchester City win 54%; expected goals 1.16 to 1.89. Our safest pick: Over 1.5 goals.

Manchester City vs Brighton & Hove Albion (Carabao Cup, Wed, 28 Oct): Manchester City win 57%, draw 22%, Brighton & Hove Albion win 22%; expected goals 2.10 to 1.24. Our safest pick: Over 1.5 goals.