Manchester United were denied a penalty in their 3-2 Premier League win over Fulham but capitalised on the free-kick that was awarded instead, as Casemiro headed the Reds into the lead
Matheus Cunha
Matheus Cunha was fouled by Jorge Cuenca, and a free-kick was awarded.
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Manchester United have received a new verdict from Troy Deeney after seeing their penalty appeal overturned by VAR in Sunday's clash with Fulham at Old Trafford. They still made the most of the situation by scoring from the free-kick that was awarded instead.
The incident began when Fulham defender Jorge Cuenca went to ground and was initially penalised, though replays quickly showed Cuenca had cleanly won the ball before any contact with the United player.
The Spaniard and several team‑mates immediately protested, prompting a swift VAR review.
Officials informed the referee that there was no foul inside the box. However, they did identify a shirt pull by Cuenca, with the infringement starting outside the area, meaning the correct decision was a free-kick rather than a penalty.
The referee relayed the verdict to the crowd: "After review, the Fulham 15 commits a holding offence outside the penalty area.
VAR check
A VAR check during Manchester United's match against Fulham resulted in a free-kick being awarded instead of a penalty(Image: BBC./Match of the Day)
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"The final decision is a free kick to Manchester United."
Bruno Fernandes swung the ensuing free-kick into the area, where Casemiro climbed above everyone to nod it into the net and hand Manchester United the perfect early breakthrough.
Fulham boss Marco Silva was shown a yellow card for his furious protests as his team were left chasing the game.
Speaking on Match of the Day, former Watford striker Deeney said: "Let's talk about really good play here from Cunha.
"Cuenca will say he's done well, but again as an attacking player when you are pulling me back it slows me [Cunha] down here, to allow you to get back.
"If he doesn't pull, Cunha is away from him. So I think it ultimately becomes the right decision, the biggest issue I have with all of this is the way that Fulham celebrated this, high-fiving and not doing their job - the danger is there.
"They give a good decision here because it is outside the box."