PGMO Admits Manchester United Goal Should Have Been Disallowed

The Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) acknowledged that Manchester United's second goal in their 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday should have been disallowed due to a handball incident. The controversy arose when forward Bryan Mbeumo appeared to control the ball with his arm before teammate Matheus Cunha converted the rebound into the net.

Referee Michael Salisbury initially awarded the goal but instructed VAR official Matt Donohue to review the incident on the pitchside monitor. Despite the review, Salisbury maintained that the original decision was correct, stating the handball was accidental and did not warrant disallowing the goal.

This incident marked the 17th occasion this season where referees in the Premier League rejected VAR recommendations for a field review. PGMO chief Howard Webb reportedly contacted Nottingham Forest to explain the error, justifying that the decision not to disallow the goal was based on the belief that Mbeumo's control of the ball outweighed the possibility of it deflecting off his hip.

Morgan Gibbs-White criticized the decision, asserting that the ball clearly struck Mbeumo's hand.