PGMO admit handball should have ruled out Cunha strike against Forest | OneFootball

Oliver Whitmore, Chief football news reporter

Matheus Cunha’s goal in Manchester United’s 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest last Saturday should not have stood, the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) has admitted this afternoon.

The ball struck the arm of the forward’s teammate Bryan Mbeumo, attempting to control the ball, before his rebounded shot fell kindly for the Portuguese to slot into the bottom right corner, restoring his team’s lead in the second half.

Sent over to the pitch side monitor to review the footage, referee Michael Salisbury disagreed with VAR’s recommendation to disallow the goal and instead upheld his on-field decision in a rarely-seen move by the official at Old Trafford.

PGMO’s Chief Refereeing Officer and former referee Howard Webb spoke to Forest to apologise that United’s second wasn’t ruled out, stating that the better decision was to have done so despite believing there were reasons to give the goal.

Former Premier League assistant referee Daniel Cann shared the opinion, telling BBC Sport: “While I think that it is commendable to see a referee stick with his original decision, I believe that football’s expectation is Mbeumo controlling the ball, especially when it leads to a goal, outweighs the possible deflection off Mbeumo’s hip.

“Mbeumo does control the ball [with his hand] and while he’s not the scorer himself, football’s expectation is for that to be disallowed.”

Under the Football Association’s Law 12 of the game, Fouls and Misconduct, handball is given only if the final touch before a goal is scored or a player passes to someone else and they score occurs anywhere below the armpit – even if accidental.

It comes as Forest manager Vitor Pereira called for there to be more clarity within the laws of the game in regard to handball offences after the match, claiming that “we don’t know what is possible or not [nor] understand the decisions”.

As BBC Sport highlight, it was just the 17th time in seven seasons that a referee has rejected advice from the video assistant. Only in this case, it has been deemed an incorrect application of authority.