Manchester United were lucky to get away with not conceding a penalty in their 2-2 draw with Everton, with former Premier League referee Mark Halsey labelling the VAR mix-up ’embarrassing.’
The Toffees looked firmly in control as they took a 2-0 lead at Goodison Park but the game changed in the second half and the visitors got themselves level through Bruno Fernandes and summer signing Manuel Ugarte.
It looked like Everton were going to have a glorious chance to win it, though, when Ashley Young was felled in the penalty box and referee Andy Madley pointed to the spot deep into injury time.
Red Devils goalkeeper Andre Onana had parried a shot and Young moved to get onto the rebound before going down under challenges from both Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire.
Madley seemed certain it was a foul, but was asked to look at the pitchside monitor by VAR and on viewing the incident again he decided it was not a penalty.
It was a difficult incident to judge, with there certainly being contact with Young from both Manchester United players, although the Everton veteran did also go down in an exaggerated manner.
The idea that Madley had made a clear and obvious error in his decision seems farcical, though, with VAR overturning the incident surprising.
Halsey feels Madley was let down by not being shown all the angles of the incident and if he had seen the view from behind the goal which clearly shows De Ligt holding Young’s shirt, then a penalty would have been given.
‘The decision to overturn a penalty awarded to Everton near the end of their 2-2 draw with Manchester United was clearly wrong,’ Halsey told The Sun.
‘VAR Matt Donohue should not have got involved because referee Andy Madley’s on-field call was in no way a clear and obvious error.
‘When Madley went to the monitor on the advice of VAR he was then shown the wrong footage.
‘They failed to take into account that Matthijs de Ligt had pulled Young back by the shirt. And had Madley been shown footage filmed from behind the goal he would have seen this. The incident was embarrassing.’
Former Manchester United striker Michael Owen had the same opinion, feeling that overturning the decision was understandable from the view Madley was given, but it would not have been if he were shown other angles.
‘They’ve not looked at the right angle, in my opinion,’ Owen told Premier League Productions.
‘If everything which we’ve seen in real time during the game, if that’s the angle the referee has been given then I don’t blame the referee for saying no.
‘But he’s not been given the angle, he needs to be given the angle from behind the goal, zoomed in.
‘From that angle [the referee was given by VAR] it just looks like a dive, I agree with the referee, can’t give a penalty on that evidence.
‘The VAR has let the referee down, in my opinion there. He’s not given him all the various angles that you need to form a full opinion of whether that’s a foul or not.
‘He’s given him one angle across the 18-yard box and given it to him ten times. He can see that after one replay, show him the whole lot, give him three, four, five angles.
‘This one [the angle behind the goal] is the only one he needs and it’s the only one he doesn’t get.
‘There are two angles that showed the shirt pull, not one of the replays showed the shirt pull and he’s going from side-on.
‘VAR is to blame, not the referee. VAR didn’t give him the right angle.’
Everton boss David Moyes was very surprised to see the original decision changed and could not see how Madley had made a clear and obvious error.
‘I can’t understand. [De Ligt] pulled his jersey,’ said the Scot. ‘I just thought the referee made the correct decision at the time and he should stick with it.
‘I think everybody who watches football, we’re all looking forward to seeing a referee saying “No, no I’m sticking with it”.
‘If it’s absolutely clear and obvious that’s what we’ve got VAR for, but I didn’t think it needed to get involved.’
MORE: Mikel Arteta responds to Ethan Nwaneri injury fears after Arsenal defeat to West Ham
MORE: Man City vs Liverpool: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup and injuries
MORE: Newcastle vs Nottingham Forest: Confirmed team news, predicted lineup and injuries
