Go, go, go, go, go!" The words of video assistant referee Matt Donohue as he rushed through the review to award Erling Haaland's winning goal in the Manchester derby. No doubt Donohue was simply trying to be as efficient as possible, but it led to one of the most catastrophic VAR errors the Premier League has seen. Donohue and his assistant VAR, Blake Antrobus, inexplicably failed to notice that Enzo Fernandez was three yards offside before he tried to head the ball.
The goal was given, and Manchester City beat Manchester United 1-0. Refereeing has always been a goldfish bowl of scrutiny and pressure, heightened by the introduction of VAR. The Premier League made a "more efficient application of VAR to reduce delays" one of its football principles for the season.
Has the game tried to prioritise speed over accuracy? The urgency in Donohue's voice was all too apparent. "Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go!" It was a panicked exchange between the VAR and the replay operator.
Not calm, collected and methodical. The opposite of how a video official should operate. Officials hear repeatedly - from fans, pundits, radio phone-ins and newspaper columns - that VAR has to be quicker.
That delays are not acceptable. In the Premier League stakeholders' survey - which includes managers, coaches and supporters - the key theme for improvements to VAR was the speed of decisions. This has to create pressure - but it is no excuse for such an error.
City boss Enzo Maresca had some sympathy speaking on Wednesday, though he was of course the beneficiary of the gaffe. "To make a decision in 10, 20 seconds is not easy for them," said Maresca. "Sometimes they make mistakes.
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