The Professional Game Match Officials Board's chief refereeing officer, Howard Webb, has shed light on the penalty decisions that went against Manchester United during their match against Bournemouth. According to Webb, the discrepancy in the speed at which the attackers were moving played a crucial role in the differing outcomes.
Manchester United had taken the lead twice through goals from Bruno Fernandes and an own goal by James Hill, but Bournemouth equalized on both occasions, with the second equalizer coming from a penalty kick awarded after Harry Maguire was given a straight red card for pulling down Evanilson. Webb noted that in the case of Amad Diallo's penalty appeal, the winger was not moving at a high speed, and the contact, although present, was deemed not sufficient to warrant a penalty. In contrast, Evanilson was moving at a much faster pace when Maguire fouled him, resulting in a clear goalscoring opportunity being denied. Webb emphasized that the referee's decision was respected by the VAR in both instances, but he acknowledged that if the referee had not awarded a penalty in the Maguire foul, the VAR would have intervened.
Manchester United's head coach, Michael Carrick, expressed his frustration at the inconsistency in the penalty decisions, labeling it 'crazy' and 'baffling.'