Premier League Faces Scrutiny as New Details Emerge in Controversial Manchester United VAR Decision
A fresh wave of scrutiny is directed at Premier League officiating following the release of details surrounding the contentious VAR decision not to award Manchester United a penalty during thier 3-1 defeat to Brentford.The incident,involving a challenge by Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo on United’s Bruno Fernandes,has sparked widespread debate and accusations of inconsistent request of the “denial of a goalscoring chance” (DOGSO) rule.
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) explanation centers on the assessment that Mbeumo was not in control of the ball at the moment of the challenge. Referees evaluating DOGSO consider factors including distance to goal, direction of play, the likelihood of maintaining possession, and the positioning of defenders. The key determination, however, rests on potential for control, not existing control. IFAB laws stipulate a caution (yellow card) if the offense is an attempt to play the ball, but a red card and sending-off if there’s no possibility to play the ball – such as holding, pulling, or pushing.
Had a penalty been awarded, it would have presented Manchester United with a crucial opportunity to equalize, possibly shifting the momentum of the match. While Fernandes’ success from the spot isn’t guaranteed, the opportunity itself could have considerably impacted United’s response to Brentford’s 2-1 lead, which ultimately extended to 3-1 in stoppage time through a goal by Mathias jensen.
Brentford manager Thomas Frank addressed the incident post-match, but deflected detailed discussion. “The referee told me that Bryan was not in control of the ball,” Frank stated, as reported by BBC Sport. “You [the media] can say what happened. I don’t want to talk about the referee.”
