VAR quits after 90 Minutes in Manchester, all correct in London
After Manchester United’s narrow 1-0 victory over Wolves, Wolves’ manager Gary O’Neil claimed that his team should have been awarded a late penalty in the match. Referee Jon Moss, responsible for the match, admitted the mistake and issued an apology for not awarding the penalty. O’Neil expressed his frustration, revealing that Moss acknowledged the clear and undeniable error in not recognizing the penalty incident involving United goalkeeper Andre Onana and Wolves’ Sasa Kalajdzic. Moss expressed surprise at the lack of intervention from both the on-field referee and VAR in such a straightforward situation.
The incident has sparked discussions and concerns about the effectiveness and accuracy of the VAR system in the Premier League. The controversial decision prompted questions regarding the consistency and reliability of VAR in ensuring fair and accurate outcomes.
In response to the incident, the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) chief reached out to Wolves officials to apologize for the mistake. Gary O’Neil’s comments shed light on the necessity of VAR in making correct decisions and underscored the potential impact of human nature on referees’ judgement calls.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that the True Table Community assessed the situation as a wrong decision, resulting in a 1-1 draw between Manchester United and Wolves in their eyes. This outcome had Manchester United dropping 2 points and Wolves gaining 1 point due to the penalty error.
In a weekend marked by contentious VAR decisions, it’s important to mention that another incident was evaluated correctly involving Liverpool’s Jackson. His handball situation was properly addressed, resulting in the preservation of the original match results. This contrasts with the controversy surrounding the Manchester United-Wolves match, highlighting the varying degrees of success and accuracy in VAR’s application across different matches in the Premier League.
Image Source
Niko4it, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
