PGMO Admits Handball Error on Manchester United Goal Against Nottingham Forest Manchester United’s second goal in Sunday’s Premier League match against Nottingham Forest should have been disallowed for handball, the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) has confirmed. The incident occurred when United forward Bryan Mbeumo’s arm made contact with the ball before he attempted to block a shot from a defender. Teammate Matheus Cunha then seized the loose ball and scored, but the goal was allowed despite the handball. The VAR, Matt Donohue, instructed referee Lee Salisbury to review the incident via the pitchside monitor. However, Salisbury concluded the handball was accidental and upheld his on-field decision to award the goal. The decision gave United a 2-1 lead in a match they eventually won 3-2. Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White criticized the ruling, stating, “From the angle I was standing at, it looked like he caught the ball. Whether he scores or not, for me it was still a handball.” He emphasized that the contact appeared deliberate, even if the goal was scored. Referees’ boss Howard Webb addressed the situation, explaining that while there could be justifiable reasons to rule the incident as non-handball, the expected standard in football is to disallow such actions. “A better decision, and one that would be expected, is for it to be disallowed,” Webb said. He noted that the Premier League’s approach to handball is more lenient, acknowledging natural player movements, but stressed that the VAR review should have been accepted.#matheus_cunha #bryan_mbeumo #morgan_gibbs_white #professional_game_match_officials #matt_donohue
