NEW VERDICT: PGMOI. finally releases new verdicts on the match officials as FA takes full full responsibility, another official statement released this morning
Manchester United were left frustrated after being denied what many felt was a clear penalty during their clash with AFC Bournemouth on Friday.
The controversy centered on Amad Diallo, who appeared to be pulled down inside the box while United were 1-0 ahead. Despite strong appeals, the referee waved play on, a decision that later drew heavy criticism. Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett admitted he was stunned that the incident did not result in a spot-kick, especially given how obvious the contact looked.
In contrast, Bournemouth were awarded a penalty later in the match when Harry Maguire brought down Evanilson, a challenge that also led to Maguire being sent off. Hackett agreed with that decision, explaining that Maguire made no genuine attempt to play the ball and the red card for denying a clear goal-scoring opportunity was justified. However, he questioned why VAR failed to intervene in United’s earlier appeal, insisting both incidents involved similar holding offences.
The game itself was full of twists, with United taking the lead twice but unable to hold on as Bournemouth fought back through Ryan Christie and Junior Kroupi. The dropped points could have hurt United’s push for a top-four finish, but results elsewhere offered some relief as Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC also suffered defeats away from home.
United did convert a penalty of their own, with Bruno Fernandes calmly finishing from the spot after Alex Jimenez fouled Matheus Cunha. Fernandes also played a key role in their second goal, delivering a corner that was inadvertently turned into the net by James Hill.
Another moment of frustration came when a challenge by Adrien Truffert on Amad was reviewed, but VAR ruled the contact insufficient to award a foul. That decision, combined with the earlier penalty appeal, left United’s interim boss Michael Carrick visibly annoyed. He argued that both incidents were nearly identical, describing the inconsistency as baffling and insisting the outcome of the match could have been very different had the calls gone their way.
