According to PGMO chief refereeing officer Howard Webb, the disparity in penalty decisions against Manchester United at Bournemouth can be attributed to the varying speeds of the attackers involved. United had taken the lead twice, courtesy of Bruno Fernandes and an own goal by James Hill, but the hosts managed to secure a point with goals from Ryan Christie and a late penalty by Eli Junior Kroupi. Fernandes' spot-kick was awarded after Alex Jimenez pulled Matheus Cunha, whereas Amad Diallo's penalty appeal was dismissed, both on-field and by the VAR, when he was held by Adrien Truffert.
The pivotal moment came when Harry Maguire received a straight red card for pulling over Evanilson, leading to a penalty that Kroupi converted. Webb noted that the primary distinction between the two incidents lies in the speed at which the attackers were moving, with Evanilson's pace being significantly quicker than Amad's.
This difference in speed, Webb believes, made the Maguire foul a clearer case of a penalty. The VAR and referee's decision not to award a penalty in Amad's case was deemed a subjective call, with the Key Match Incident panel supporting the on-field decision.
Manchester United boss Michael Carrick expressed his frustration, stating that the two incidents were nearly identical and that it was 'crazy' and 'baffling' not to award both penalties.