Referee Michael Salisbury explained his decision to allow Matheus Cunha's go-ahead goal for Manchester United against Nottingham Forest, despite a suspicious handball from Bryan Mbeumo. The explanation was met with loud protests from the 70,000 fans at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Gary Neville, Manchester United's legendary former player and boyhood fan, was incensed by the decision, branding it an "absolute shocker."
What Happened
Mbeumo's initial shot was blocked, and Cunha tucked in the rebound from close range. VAR Matthew Donohue spent nearly two minutes reviewing every angle of the footage while United's players held off celebrating.
Salisbury then went to the pitchside monitor, taking another 90 seconds before sticking with the original decision to allow the goal.
Timeline of VAR Drama
- 54:59 — Mbeumo scores and stops celebrating
- 56:49 — On-field review recommended
- 58:23 — Referee announces his decision to the crowd
The Rule Explanation
As the on-pitch official explained to the Old Trafford crowd: "Mbeumo's handball offense is accidental, therefore the final decision is goal."
Law 12 in the FA Handbook stresses that "not every touch of a player's hand/arm with the ball is an offense." In 2021, it was decided that players would no longer be penalized for an accidental handball which leads to a teammate scoring a goal or having a goalscoring chance.
Had Mbeumo himself scored, it would have been chalked off. But because Cunha capitalised on the rebound, United were allowed to go 2-1 up.
'An Absolute Shocker' — Gary Neville's Fury
Neville was so convinced that Salisbury was going to disallow Cunha's goal he implored the official to get on with it while watching the announcement during the U.K. broadcast on Sky Sports.
Once the goal was confirmed to stand, Neville lost his temper: "That's an absolute shocker in every single way. Manchester United celebrate, Cunha's doing a samba in front of the Stretford End, but honestly, that is ridiculous."
"The amount of time that's taken. The VAR have been quite clear to the referee. They've said, 'This should be disallowed. He's handballed it, he's controlled it with his arm and he's brought it into play.' The referee has gone over to that screen and overruled VAR."
"I can't believe what I've just seen, I'll be really honest with you. For me, that is a handball."