Man United 3-2 Nottingham Forest: Premier League reveal why Bryan Mbeumo handball did not see Matheus Cunha goal ruled out

The Premier League Match Centre has said that Matheus Cunha's extremity for Manchester United against Nottinghwm Forest stood due to the fact that Bryan Mbeumo's handball was deemed accidental.

Michael Carrick led his broadside retired astatine Old Trafford for the last clip successful 2025-26 connected Sunday, and helium oversaw a 3-2 triumph against Nottingham Forest.

Bruno Fernandes produced two assists and equalled the league's record, but the biggest talking constituent was arguably the determination to grant Cunha's extremity successful the 55th infinitesimal contempt the information Bryan Mbeumo cradled the shot successful his limb moments prior.

In a societal media station connected X (formerly Twitter), the Premier League Match Centre revealed referee Michael Salisbury thought the offence was accidental, saying: "After VAR review, the referee stuck with the archetypal determination to grant a extremity to Manchester United.

"Referee announcement: 'After review, the determination of extremity stands due to the fact that the handball offence is accidental, truthful the last determination is goal.'"

The extremity was a pivotal infinitesimal successful the lucifer arsenic Forest had drawn level successful the 53rd minute, and had the extremity been ruled out, United whitethorn person not been capable to regain momentum and people their third.

Referee and VAR scandals: Human mistake but a measurement forward?

Fans crossed the state person often complained that referees person go excessively reliant connected VAR interventions, arguing that they excessively often overturn decisions erstwhile they person been sent implicit to the show for a review.

West Ham United were infuriated by the determination to chalk disconnected their precocious extremity against Arsenal past weekend, portion the referee besides failed to grant a punishment footwear for a fig of imaginable fouls successful the box.

Pundits similar Gary Neville criticised Salisbury for his determination to instrumentality with the archetypal telephone of extremity connected Sunday, and galore different observers person agreed with the erstwhile pro.

However, portion Salisbury whitethorn person made an mistake to not travel the proposal of VAR, possibly the crippled would payment wide from much instances of referees coming to their ain conclusions.

VAR future: Should Premier League scrap video technology?

Prior to the opening of matchweek 37, it was revealed that the Premier League mislaid 19 hours of play to VAR interventions, the equivalent of 12 matches.

That fig was the astir of immoderate European league astatine the time, and determination person besides been 23 errors according to the Premier League's Key Match Incidents panel, a 35% summation connected past season.

Additional exertion tin ever beryllium beneficial, but it would beryllium unthinkable to proceed guardant without making large changes to however games are refereed fixed the evident level of inconsistency.