PGMOL confirm why Bryan Mbeumo goal was allowed to stand despite Alexis Mac Allister head injury | OneFootball

PGMOL confirm why Bryan Mbeumo goal was allowed to stand despite Alexis Mac Allister head injury | OneFootball

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Evening Standard

·19 October 2025

PGMOL confirm why Bryan Mbeumo goal was allowed to stand despite Alexis Mac Allister head injury

Article image:PGMOL confirm why Bryan Mbeumo goal was allowed to stand despite Alexis Mac Allister head injury

Bryan Mbeumo fired Manchester United ahead after just two minutes at Anfield

Liverpool’s poor run of form continued on Sunday as they were beaten at home by bitter rivals Manchester United.


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Goals from Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire secured back-to-back Premier League wins for Man Utd for the first time under Ruben Amorim and also inflicted a fourth straight loss on Liverpool.

However, there was some controversy surrounding the opening goal of the game which arrived inside two minutes at Anfield as Mbeumo ran on to Amad’s pass and squeezed the ball under Giorgi Mamardashvili to give the Red Devils a dream start.

In the build-up, Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister was lying on the ground and clutching his head after being caught by team-mate Virgil van Dijk’s elbow.

It is common practice for referees to halt play due to safety measures whenever a player suffers a head injury.

However, Michael Oliver did not stop the game and Mbeumo was allowed to race through and score his third goal in Man Utd colours after joining from Brentford in the summer.

The decision to allow play to continue despite a clear head injury may have confused some Liverpool fans, but Sky Sports commentator Peter Drury cleared up why the goal stood.

Article image:PGMOL confirm why Bryan Mbeumo goal was allowed to stand despite Alexis Mac Allister head injury

Alexis Mac Allister required treatment for a head injury suffered in the build-up to Bryan Mbeumo’s goal

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Why was Bryan Mbeumo’s goal vs Liverpool allowed to stand?

Speaking during commentary, Drury explained: "The information we're getting from the PGMOL is the referee didn't see the injury so therefore the referee couldn't stop the game.”

It is likely that had Oliver spotted Mac Allister on the floor then he would have blown his whistle, thus stopping play and the visitors will not have scored from that attack.

That said, Liverpool manager Arne Slot refused to blame his side’s defeat on that particular decision.

“I think the main thing we should do now, I should do now is not complain, blame or do these kind of things,” Slot told reporters in the post-match press conference.

“So the only thing, I was (thinking) at that moment of time, I think we could have done much better after Maca was on the floor, we should have done better.

“But the health care of a player is something that is important, and if a player needs to have four stitches, you would hope that everybody understands that he needs immediate treatment.

“But it didn't happen, but again we could have done better so that's not the reason why we lost this game today.”

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