Manchester United left Craven Cottage with a point but plenty to debate on Saturday, after a late penalty appeal for handball against Fulham’s Calvin Bassey was waved away. United had to come from behind through an equaliser at Craven Cottage, and the closing stages brought a VAR check that left the away end and the United bench unhappy.
The Incident
Lisandro Martinez had already had an afternoon to forget, turning the ball into his own net earlier in the game. Later on, the Argentine’s touch clipped up and struck the arm and wrist of Fulham defender Calvin Bassey inside the box. United players immediately appealed, sensing a route back into the match before Matheus Cunha’s deflected effort in the 89th minute eventually rescued a point.
Referee Peter Bankes waved play on in the moment, unconvinced that Bassey’s contact was worth stopping the game for. That initial call was then sent for a VAR review, as is standard procedure whenever a penalty shout goes unpunished in a Premier League match.
The VAR Intervention Process
Once Bankes played on, the VAR studio automatically opened a check on the handball appeal. Officials at Craven Cottage reviewed multiple camera angles to establish whether Bassey’s arm made contact with the ball and, if so, whether the positioning warranted a penalty.
Crucially, this was resolved without Bankes being sent to the pitch-side monitor. The VAR team concluded there was no clear and obvious error in the on-field decision, so the check ended there and play continued. The Premier League later released a transcript of that process, confirming neither Bankes nor the officials in the studio believed the handball met the threshold for a penalty. You can read more detail in the Manchester Evening News post-match report.
The Rule Justification
Under current IFAB law, not every instance of the ball striking an arm is punished. Officials must judge whether a player has deliberately handled the ball, or whether their arm was in an unnatural position that made their body unfairly bigger. A defender caught with their arm close to the body, in a position that could reasonably be expected given their movement, is generally not penalised.
That description sits at the heart of this decision. Bassey’s arm position was judged to fall within what the law considers a natural position rather than a deliberate or unnaturally large obstruction, which is why no penalty followed. The law leaves room for interpretation, and that grey area has fuelled plenty of debate among pundits and supporters alike.
Reactions on the penalty incident
United’s frustration was visible after the final whistle. Several United defenders were seen arguing with Bankes, while manager Michael Carrick was spotted speaking with the referee out on the pitch. Neither exchange has been confirmed beyond what was observed, but the mood from the away side was clear.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Louis Saha pointed to the inconsistency defenders now face when trying to react instinctively in the box. He said:
“It’s 50-50. You don’t know now with the rules. Your natural instinct is to protect your face because you know you are going to be hit. But it’s different rules every weekend. Some referees will blow while some others will say ‘No go on’.”
Gary Neville focused on Bassey’s own reaction in the moment, arguing that raising his hands invited scrutiny he did not need. Neville said:
“It’s strange for a defender to put their hands up, because they know the referee will have to make a decision. Bassey is asking for trouble.”
Carrick, meanwhile, spoke to BBC Sport after the game and kept his focus on the bigger picture rather than the officiating itself. He praised the away support while acknowledging his side need to start turning draws into wins. He said:
“We want more points, we’re going to have a spell where it’s not quite going for you and we’ve had a spell of that where small things have ended up as big things. We don’t think things are perfect by any means. We need to win football matches. The supporters were top-drawer again today and we have to give them something to keep shouting about.”
For more from a busy week at Old Trafford, including the fallout from Craven Cottage, see our latest Manchester United news.
Alvaro Arbeloa believes referees favour Manchester United after Fulham draw
Alvaro Arbeloa believes referees favour Manchester United after Fulham draw
‘We should’ve won the game’, Michael Carrick pleased with Man Utd response against Fulham
‘We should’ve won the game’, Michael Carrick pleased with Man Utd response against Fulham