According to Howard Webb, the chief refereeing officer of PGMO, the penalty decisions that did not favor Manchester United during their match against Bournemouth can be attributed to the varying speeds of the attacking players. Manchester United had taken the lead twice, courtesy of Bruno Fernandes and an own goal by James Hill, but the hosts managed to equalize with goals from Ryan Christie and a late penalty by Eli Junior Kroupi. Fernandes had scored from the spot after Alex Jimenez pulled Matheus Cunha, but a similar penalty appeal by Amad Diallo was dismissed, both on the field and by the VAR, when he was held by Adrien Truffert. The turning point came when Harry Maguire was given a straight red card for fouling Evanilson, resulting in a penalty that Kroupi converted.
Webb pointed out that the key difference between the two incidents was the speed at which the attackers were moving, with Evanilson moving at a much faster pace than Amad. The VAR and referee decided that the contact on Amad was not sufficient to warrant a penalty, while Maguire's foul on Evanilson was deemed a clear and cynical hold. Webb stated, 'They're both pushing actions, but there are some differences. Most of the difference sits around the speed the attackers are moving at.' Manchester United's head coach, Michael Carrick, expressed his frustration at the inconsistency in the penalty decisions, calling it 'crazy' and 'baffling' that both incidents were not treated equally.