Referee Decisions Spark Frustration at Manchester United
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has expressed his frustration over what he perceives as inconsistent refereeing decisions during the team’s 2-2 draw against Bournemouth. The match saw a number of contentious moments, with Fernandes particularly upset about the lack of a penalty for Amad Diallo in the second half.
Referee Stuart Atwell reviewed an incident where Amad Diallo fell under contact from Adrien Truffert inside the box, but ultimately decided it was not a penalty. VAR confirmed the on-field decision, but later, Atwell awarded Bournemouth a penalty for a similar challenge involving Harry Maguire and Evanilson. This led to a red card for Maguire and a goal for Bournemouth.
Fernandes commented on the situation, stating: “I think we could have gone 2-0 up, and then we ended up conceding a goal, not getting a penalty and then we get a penalty against, where more or less it’s the same situation as Amad. One is rewarded as a penalty, the other one not. I know it’s difficult for the referee to give two penalties to the same team in one game, but I don’t understand why VAR doesn’t get involved in that situation or with Harry [Maguire] because either one is a penalty and so is the other or none of them are.”
He added: “Amad is getting to a point where he’s going to shoot and he gets pushed – you can see that something puts him completely out of balance. It’s frustrating for the small players because they always say the small players are soft and when it’s the bigger players they end up giving the fouls. I think the other situation is a penalty, but I also think the one on Amad is a penalty and that could’ve changed the game.”
Key Moments in the Match
Fernandes had earlier opened the scoring for United from the spot after Michael Carrick’s side were awarded a penalty for a foul on Matheus Cunha by Alejandro Jimenez. The Premier League Match Centre explained the decision not to award another penalty on X, writing: “The referee’s call of no penalty for a challenge by Truffert was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed the contact was not sufficient for a foul.”
Manager’s Perspective
Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick agreed with his captain, saying: “We should have had another penalty. Obviously, if you get one, you must get the other. It’s pretty much identical for me, two-hand grab. Either way, he’s got one wrong, but to give one and not give the other, I can’t get my head around it, I think it’s crazy. It’s a bit baffling, really.”
Carrick emphasized that the decision not to award the Amad penalty was pivotal to the outcome of the game. He added: “Because of that, they score and then it’s chaos after that, really. We should have had another penalty and the game would have been totally different. That’s what VAR was for: clean it up and consistency. Surely whatever they think, if one’s been given there’s enough people to decide that it’s the same as the first. It’s two different decisions, so a bit baffling really.”
