Referee Chris Kavanagh gestures during a matchplaceholder image
Referee Chris Kavanagh gestures during a match | Getty Images
Dermot Gallagher has discussed VAR decisions made during Manchester United’s draw with Fulham.
Ruben Amorim’s side took away their first point of the season from their visit to Craven Cottage on Sunday. It was a match with plenty to discuss, as plenty of officiating decisions have been dissected by both fans and professionals alike.
Dermot Gallagher on Man United VAR calls
Fulham, who also drew 1-1 with Brighton in their opening game, will feel decisions ‘went against them’ at the weekend, according to Gallagher.
The former Premier League official weighed in on the VAR calls made at Craven Cottage during the latest episode of Sky Sports’ Ref Watch.
The decisions that have sparked discussions came when United were awarded their penalty after Calvin Bassey dragged Mason Mount to the ground inside the box. Chris Kavanagh overturned the on field decision and awarded the spot-kick after being sent to the monitor by VAR.
However, many were left perplexed as Luke Shaw appeared to commit a similar foul on Rodrigo Muniz at the same time. Bassey was also involved in another penalty area incident when it appeared Leny Yoro pushed him in the back during the lead up to Man United’s goal. VAR did not intervene this time and the goal for the visitors stood.
“I do think the first one [Bassey’s foul on Mount] is a penalty,” Gallagher said. “People will say Shaw probably commits a foul as well, but Bassey does commit the first foul. Mount goes by him, and as he goes by him, he grabs him.
“We've been told this season that, if somebody grabs somebody around their waistline and, with two hands, throws them to the ground, a non-football act is going to be penalised. The evidence is there. I think that's a penalty.
“The other one [Yoro on Bassey] looks bad because he puts his hands on his back, there's no doubt about that. I listened to the VAR and they said it was more just moving him out of the way. I can understand Fulham being annoyed, but the VAR said it wasn't an impactful push.
“This is where the grey area is, all subjective decisions are like that but Fulham will feel aggrieved because they linked the two together, and they will feel that both went against them.”
Man United penalty debate
The penalty that followed the foul on Mount has also become a hot topic of discussion. As Fernandes prepared to take the spot-kick, the referee bumped into him while walking away from the area. The United captain went on to squander his chance, which Gary Neville later said would have ‘unnerved’ the midfielder.
“He picked the ball up, then he bundles into the referee a bit,” Neville said on Sky Sports. “He gave him a bit of a bump by accident, and he goes back. It just unnerved him a little bit.
“I thought it was because the referee was adjusting the players on the edge of the box, but he’s still having a go, Bruno Fernandes, at the referee, because he feels that was a little bit clumsy.”
Fernandes also spoke on the incident after the match, saying in his interview: “It upset me because the referee didn’t apologise. That is what triggered me in that moment, but that’s not an excuse for missing the penalty.”
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