Manchester United were incensed after Amad was denied a penalty for a challenge by Adrien Truffert, but Harry Maguire was sent off and Bournemouth given a spot-kick for a similar incident
Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes appeals to referee Stuart Attwell
Bruno Fernandes was unhappy with Stuart Attwell's decisions(Image: Rob Newell/Getty Images)
View 3 Images
Bruno Fernandes pointed the finger at VAR after Manchester United were left furious at the decisions in their 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on Friday night. United twice surrendered a lead and ended the night with 10 men after a frantic second half on the south coast.
The away side took the lead from the penalty spot after Matheus Cunha was pulled back by Alex Jimenez. But Fernandes didn't get the chance to make it 2-0 with another penalty after referee Stuart Attwell waved away an appeal after Amad went down in the box under pressure from Adrien Truffert.
To make matters worse, Bournemouth immediately went up the other end and made it 1-1 through Ryan Christie. VAR checked the Amad appeal and said the contact was "not sufficient for a foul".
United took the lead again through James Hill's own goal, but lost Harry Maguire soon after when he brought down Evanilson and denied a goalscoring opportunity. Junior Kroupi buried the penalty, leaving United furious as they were left to settle for a point.
"Disappointed because we did enough to get three points," Fernandes told Sky Sports post-match. "Had to finish with a lot of suffering and trying not to concede. Frustration onto ourselves because we could've gone 2-0 up and from that we conceded another goal.
"Not getting a penalty and then we get a penalty against where it's the same situation as Amad - one is one, one is not. I know it's difficult for the referee to give two penalties to the same team in one game but I don't understand why VAR doesn't get involved in that situation or with Harry [Maguire] because either one is a penalty and so is the other or none of them are.
"Amad is getting to a point where he's going to shoot and he gets pushed - you can see that something puts him completely out of balance. It's frustrating for the small players because they always say the small players are soft and when it's the bigger players they end up giving the fouls.
Harry Maguire of Manchester United reacts
Harry Maguire was sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity(Image: Warren Little/Getty Images)
View 3 Images
"I think the other situation is a penalty but I also think the one on Amad is a penalty and that could've changed the game."
United boss Michael Carrick was uncharacteristically angry in his post-match interview, adding: "We should have had another penalty. Obviously, if you get one, you must get the other.
"It’s pretty much identical for me, two-hand grab. Either way, he’s got one wrong, but to give one and not give the other, I can’t get my head around it, I think it’s crazy. It’s a bit baffling, really."
Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick looks dejected
Michael Carrick was angry with the officials(Image: Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
View 3 Images
However, the pundits were split. Speaking about Amad's appeal, Jamie Redknapp said on Sky Sports: "I think it'd have been really harsh. I think you can see Truffert is being aggressive with him, he does man handle him a bit. I just don't think it's enough to be a penalty."
Ex-United striker Andy Cole added: "When you're talking about going down easily, he's (Evanilson) gone down easily there.
"As a manager, of course you're going to be disappointed, Bruno's disappointed as well. When you break it down, what is the difference? I get the sending off but when we're talking about the penalty itself, why is one given and one's not?"
Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.