PGMO share update on whether Man Utd ‘handball’ against Nottingham Forest was the right call
Howard Webb, head of Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO), has confirmed that Manchester United’s second goal against Nottingham Forest on Sunday should have been ruled out.
Just after United conceded an equalizer at Old Trafford, Matheus Cunha scored to make it 2-1. The Red Devils, who already secured their spot in the Champions League, ended up winning 3-2 and finishing third in the Premier League.
The goal caused quite a bit of debate. Bryan Mbeumo, Cunha’s teammate, accidentally controlled the ball with his arm before the goal. Even though there was a chance the ball touched another part of his body first, many felt the goal should have been disallowed because of the handball.
The match referee, Michael Salisbury, chose to let the goal stand after checking the incident with the help of video assistant referee Matthew Donohue. Former United defender Gary Neville called the decision a “shocker,” and now Webb has also spoken out, agreeing that the call was wrong.
According to The Athletic, “Webb called Forest personally to admit the mistake and said Salisbury should have overturned his original decision.” Since Forest was already safe from relegation, the mistake didn’t change much in terms of standings. But the team and manager Vitor Pereira aren’t likely to be happy just because the decision was acknowledged later.
It’s not common, but referees sometimes stick with their original call even after checking video replays. This happened at Old Trafford, and many felt the decision wouldn’t have gone the same way if it had been on the other side of the pitch. That made the situation even more frustrating.
Though some want VAR decisions to be clear-cut, this handball was obvious to anyone who knows the game. Law 12 of the Laws of the Game says a handball happens if a player’s hand or arm makes their body unnaturally bigger, or if a goal is scored right after the ball touches a hand or arm—even if by accident.
While Salisbury argued that Mbeumo’s arm wasn’t in an unnatural position, he wasn’t the one who scored, and the handball wasn’t deliberate, the fact remains that United clearly gained an advantage right before the goal.
Mbeumo’s accidental handball definitely helped lead to the goal. Webb’s final call confirms that Salisbury should have disallowed it after reviewing the video.