The chief refereeing officer for the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMO), Howard Webb, has shed light on the penalty decisions that went against Manchester United during their match against Bournemouth. According to Webb, the key factor in these decisions was the speed at which the attackers were moving.
In the case of Manchester United's Amad Diallo, who had a penalty appeal dismissed, Webb noted that the player was not moving particularly quickly, and the contact made by the opposing player was deemed insufficient to warrant a penalty. In contrast, when Evanilson was fouled by Harry Maguire, the speed at which Evanilson was moving made the contact more impactful, resulting in a penalty being awarded. Webb emphasized that both incidents involved pushing actions, but the difference in speed was the decisive factor.
The on-field referee's decision was respected by the VAR in both cases, with Webb stating that the VAR would have intervened if the referee had not given a penalty in the Maguire incident. Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes and head coach Michael Carrick expressed frustration that only one of the penalties was awarded, with Fernandes arguing that the situations were identical and Carrick describing the decision as "crazy" and "baffling". Webb acknowledged that the referee's judgment call was crucial in such situations, and that the VAR's role is to only intervene when a clear mistake has been made.