League panel gives decision on United’s disallowed goal against Burnley | OneFootball

Manchester United are fifth in the Premier League table after 22 games this season, a point behind fourth-placed Liverpool. The mood at Old Trafford is upbeat following the 2-0 win over Manchester City last weekend in the league, but the club is going through a rocky phase at the moment.

The Red Devils parted ways with former head coach Ruben Amorim at the start of this month and initially put Darren Fletcher in interim charge for two games. The Scot oversaw a 2-2 draw against Burnley in the league and a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion in the FA Cup third round.

United have since appointed Michael Carrick as the caretaker manager for the rest of the season. The Englishman delivered an emphatic win over their bitter rivals in his first game in charge, but it now appears that the Red Devils were unlucky not to pick up all three points against Burnley too.

United dropped points at Turf Moor

Amorim’s departure saw United switch back to a back four under Fletcher, who opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation. Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez, Ayden Heaven and Diogo Dalot formed the back line, while Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro were stationed as the midfield pivot.

Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko and Patrick Dorgu formed the attack, with Bruno Fernandes playing in his preferred No. 10 position. The Red Devils started well, but fell behind in the 13th minute when Lucas Pires’ cross into the box was deflected into the net off Heaven.

United piled on the pressure on the home side, and in the 27th minute, it appeared that Martinez had equalised from a corner. However, the goal was ruled out by referee Stuart Attwell due to a foul on Kyle Walker in the buildup to the goal.

Sesko finally got the equaliser in the 50th minute and then gave his team the lead ten minutes later. However, Jaidon Anthony came off the bench to restore parity for the Clarets and the game ended 2-2. The Premier League’s Key Match Incidents (KMI) Panel has now issued a verdict on Martinez’s disallowed goal.

Stats: Manchester United 2-2 Burnley

Source: BBC.

Martinez’s goal should have stood

According to the KMI panel, as cited by the BBC, Martinez’s goal was wrongly disallowed by Stuart Attwell. The five-member panel voted 3-2 that it was not a foul on Walker and that the goal should have stood. The panel noted that “the contact was exaggerated by Walker and the decision to disallow the goal for a foul was incorrect.”

Craig Pawson was on VAR duty for the game and had backed Attwell’s on-field decision. The KMI panel supported his move, voting 4-1 in favour of no VAR intervention. They added: “The decision not to intervene by VAR was split but supported on the basis it wasn’t a clear and obvious error.”

Another talking point from the game was Walker’s foul on Dorgu, where the Englishman appeared to stand on the Dane. However, the foul did not meet the requirements for a KMI review.

Final Thoughts

While United will feel undone after the latest update, they did have enough opportunities to secure all three points on the night. The Red Devils registered 30 shots in the game, 10 of which were on target, but were undone by some poor finishing.

However, there is no point dwelling on the past. With Arsenal up next, fans will hope that Carrick’s Midas touch can help avenge the 1-0 defeat to the Gunners at the beginning of the season.

Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images

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