Why Harry Maguire’s goal counted for Man United even with a clear handball – here’s the strange rule behind it
Here’s a fun little Premier League rule that helped Manchester United’s second goal against Ipswich Town stand — and it’s just been explained!
After a rough start to the season with a 2-0 loss to Hull City, Man United bounced back in their first home game. Captain Bruno Fernandes scored a hat-trick, Ipswich’s Jacob Greaves accidentally put one in his own net, and Bryan Mbeumo added a goal, helping United win 5-2 at Old Trafford. It was a much happier day for the Red Devils.
But the match wasn’t without some drama. United’s second goal came with a bit of controversy involving Harry Maguire. At first, it looked like Maguire scored, but the VAR showed the ball had touched his hand just before the goal. After a long review, the goal stayed on the board because the ball actually bounced off Greaves, which made it an own goal.
The Premier League Match Centre shared how the decision was made: “VAR confirmed the goal for Manchester United because Maguire’s handball was accidental, and since the ball deflected off Greaves, it counts as an own goal.”
If Maguire had directly scored off his hand, the goal would have been canceled and Ipswich would have gotten a free-kick. But thanks to Greaves’ bad luck, United got the goal, which lifted their spirits the rest of the game.
After that own goal, Fernandes scored again from a penalty after a foul on Matheus Cunha, making it 3-1. He then completed his hat-trick with a beautiful shot in the 68th minute. Finally, Bryan Mbeumo added a fifth goal, capping off an awesome match for Man United.
Ipswich did get one back near the end, with a simple tap-in from Chuba Akpom, but it wasn’t enough to change the result.
Right after the game, Maguire spoke to Sky Sports about the goal. “I haven’t seen it yet, so I can’t really say much,” he said. “It was close, but it wasn’t handball on purpose. I think I dragged my shot wide, which is why it stood. It’s a new rule. We deserved the win and got a bit lucky.”
On the game overall, he added: “We started strong but the goal against us hit us hard. Losing here feels huge, with so much noise around the club. We talked at half-time and showed we could do better. The last game was tough, but we were ready this time. It’s a long season and we’ll be ready for whatever comes next.”
Up next, United will face Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium before kicking off their Champions League campaign at home against Azerbaijan’s Sabah.