Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has been slammed for his verdict on whether Matheus Cunha should have been awarded a penalty against Arsenal on Sunday evening. The new Manchester United signing was a bright spark at Old Trafford on the opening weekend, as Mikel Arteta's side were made to battle hard for all three points.
In the end, the difference came from an Altay Bayindir mistake. Man-marked by William Saliba at a corner, the goalkeeper flapped at the ball, sending it straight into the path of Riccardo Calafiori, who nodded home from close range. Watch the goal below:
Despite the defeat, there were plenty of positives for the Red Devils. Both Bryan Mbeumo and Cunha looked like they could be worth their price tags, and holding the perennial runners-up to scraps suggested Ruben Amorim’s side could be far tougher to face this season. On top of that, it could easily be argued they deserved a penalty for their efforts as well.
Dermot Gallagher Slammed For Opinion on Cunha Penalty Decision
MixCollage-18-Aug-2025-05-02-PM-6941
In the second half, United ramped up the pressure and looked the likeliest to score. One key flashpoint came when the ball was played into Cunha inside the box, who was then tackled from behind by Saliba without the Arsenal defender winning the ball. It was a moment where United might have felt they deserved a penalty.
At the time, commentary dismissed any suggestions of a foul, and Gallagher - a former Premier League referee himself - later doubled down on that view during the latest episode of Ref Watch. He said (watch the full segment below):
"I wasn't convinced it was a penalty. But what I will say is, if it was going to be a penalty, it's one that the referee's going to give, it's not one that he's going to throw to VAR. It's not a foul."
Jay Bothroyd, a former England international and Arsenal supporter, joined Gallagher in the studio and insisted otherwise, claiming that, if the same incident had happened at the halfway line, it would have been given as a free-kick. "It's definitely a foul," he claimed. "He's gone through the back of him, he's hit his planted foot, it's a penalty."
Judging by the comments online, many are in agreement with the ex-Cardiff City man, too. One X user remarked: "I can't believe a referee cannot back his argument with facts. One would think the Arsenal fan is the referee here." Elsewhere, a second added:
"Absolutely pathetic from Gallagher. He knows he’s dead wrong and simply refuses to back down due to clear bias and pride. That was as clear a penalty as you’ll see, regardless of how anyone tries to spin it. Mike Dean also argued it wasn’t a penalty. Ridiculous hypocrisy."
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim
Premier League - Manchester United v Arsenal - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - August 17, 2025 Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim
A third continued: "Embarrassing from Dermot... Well not surprised, he has always been that way when it has to do with Man Utd," as another commented: "These ex-refs keep embarrassing themselves. He has no answer as to why it wasn't a foul. Utterly hopeless."
Meanwhile, a fifth concluded: "That Arsenal fan is absolutely spot on. If it's a foul anywhere else on the pitch, it's a foul in the penalty box. It either is a foul or it isn't. It's that simple. Dermot Gallagher is an absolute embarrassment. How can you say this wasn't a foul?"