Manchester United raised protests after Crystal Palace were allowed to retake a penalty at Selhurst Park on Sunday
Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace scores a penalty which was later retaken due to a double touch during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Manchester United
Jean-Philippe Mateta's 'double touch' penalty for Palace resulted in a Premier League first against Man United
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Manchester United became the first Premier League team to be affected by a new penalty rule change during their 2-1 win at Crystal Palace. The incident occurred when Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta stepped up to take a spot-kick having been fouled by Leny Yoro in the first half.
Mateta slipped while taking the penalty and accidentally kicked the ball against his standing foot before it went into the goal. This "double touch" infraction was immediately spotted by VAR officials reviewing the play.
Under previous regulations, this error would have resulted in the goal being disallowed and an indirect free-kick awarded to Manchester United. However, a recent update to the laws of the game now permits a retake in specific circumstances.
Because the double contact was deemed accidental and the ball ultimately went into the net, the referee ordered the penalty to be taken again. Referee Rob Jones explained the technical decision to the confused crowd at Selhurst Park.
Mateta was given a second chance from the spot and successfully converted the penalty into the opposite corner. This goal gave Crystal Palace the lead in the match despite the controversy.
The rule change was prompted by a similar chaotic incident involving Julian Alvarez during a Champions League shootout between Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. UEFA and the International Football Association Board updated the laws to handle accidental double touches more fairly.
While this was a Premier League first, the rule has already been seen in other major competitions recently. England star Beth Mead was allowed a similar retake during the Euro 2025 final shootout against Spain.
The implementation of this new rule ensured Palace were not penalised for an accidental slip, allowing them to maintain their attacking advantage. United, however, found themselves on the receiving end of this historic refereeing first.
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