The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMO) 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 difference in speed between the attackers played a significant role in these decisions. Manchester United had taken the lead twice, courtesy of goals from Bruno Fernandes and an own goal by James Hill, but the hosts managed to earn a point through Ryan Christie and a late penalty from Eli Junior Kroupi.
The match saw several incidents, including a penalty awarded to Manchester United after a foul on Matheus Cunha by Alex Jimenez. However, a similar penalty appeal by Amad Diallo was dismissed, both on the field and by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR). Later, Harry Maguire was given a straight red card for pulling over Evanilson, resulting in a penalty that Kroupi scored from.
Webb explained that the speed of the attackers was a crucial factor in these decisions. In the case of Amad, he was not moving quickly, and the contact, although present, was not deemed sufficient for a penalty. In contrast, Evanilson was moving at a much faster pace when Maguire fouled him, making it a clear penalty.
The on-field referees' decisions were respected by the VAR in both cases. Webb emphasized that if the referee had not awarded a penalty in the Maguire incident, the VAR would have intervened, as it was clearly a penalty. The penalty decisions sparked controversy, with Fernandes and Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick expressing their frustration at the inconsistency. Webb acknowledged that the referee's judgment call played a crucial role in these decisions and that the VAR is designed to intervene only when something is clearly wrong.
In the case of Amad's penalty appeal, the VAR deemed it a subjective call and chose not to override the on-field decision.