Manchester United snatched an incredible 100th-minute winner against Brighton through Bruno Fernandes’ penalty after Chris Kavanagh consulted his pitchside monitor to adjudge Neal Maupay guilty of committing a handball offence.
Moments after Solly March had appeared to have earned what would have been a thoroughly deserved equaliser for the Seagulls in the 95th minute, United won a corner after substitute Donny van de Beek’s cross was deflected behind.
Fernandes whipped his set-piece in from the left towards Harry Maguire, whose powerful header towards goal had the sting taken out of it by Maupay at close-range. Brighton cleared their lines and Kavanagh blew his whistle to end the game, before being surrounded by a sea of red and blue shirts as players from both sides contested the late decision.
Maguire, backed by his United teammates, was adamant that a handball had taken place, while Brighton’s players desperately pleaded Maupay’s innocence. Eventually, after consultation with his VAR official Simon Hooper, Kavanagh blew his whistle again and gestured towards the pitchside monitor, dragging the drama out even further.
Following a review of the incident, Kavanagh sided with Maguire and awarded the penalty which Fernandes, as he always does, dispatched with ease. It was the second time in which Brighton were penalised after Kavanagh had taken a second look at a decision, but Maupay’s hands were in an unnatural position and the penalty award was correct.
“It’s a cruel blow after what was a fantastic performance from us,” Brighton boss Graham Potter lamented to broadcasters BT Sport.
It was a match that was dominated by penalty decisions for and against as well as Brighton’s misfortune in front of goal. Maupay had given his side the lead from the spot with the most brazen of panenka’s late on in the first half, before Lewis Dunk inadvertently equalised for United soon after, albeit under intense pressure from Maguire at the far post.
Brighton started the second half in lively fashion and thought they had won a second penalty inside the opening 90 seconds when Connolly went to ground after a tangle of legs with Pogba, who was booked for the foul.
Incredible drama as Man Utd beat Brighton with 99 minutes on the clock ????
The referee had blown the final whistle, only for VAR to award a penalty for a clear handball…
Bruno Fernandes buries it to win 3-2. pic.twitter.com/CP7bKhGLn7
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) September 26, 2020
After analysing numerous replays, Kavanagh came to the conclusion that the collision between the players was not sufficient for a second penalty and reversed his original decision, as well as the yellow card issued to Pogba.
Connolly was left perplexed and in a pre-VAR world, the young Irishman would almost certainly have found himself on the right side of the decision. It was the type of penalty that Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy has made a habit of winning during the past few seasons. Indeed throughout the Premier League era, crafty strikers have made that penalty box movement an artform.
It was a tight call and perhaps it was surprising that Kavanagh changed his mind. It didn’t look a clear or obvious error. Connolly shifted his body weight to his right-hand side to make a collision with Pogba inevitable, rather than the United midfielder making an action towards him. It was a cunning piece of play from Connolly but he wasn’t quite cute enough.
“From where I was I thought he got the other side of him and there was contact,” Potter said. “It is what it is, were disappointed.”
There is growing evidence that major VAR decisions can result in an immediate momentum swing from one team to the other and that seemed the case at the Amex with Marcus Rashford netting twice in just over five minutes afterwards; the first was correctly adjudged offside, the second was superbly taken.
However, Brighton’s response to going behind was exemplary. Just as they did in the first half, the Seagulls made life intolerable for United, pressing them aggressively high up the pitch, forcing panicked decisions and swarming menacingly in attack. All that Potter’s side lacked was the magic touch in front of goal.
Leandro Trossard completed an unfortunate hat-trick in the second half, lashing an effort onto the frame off the crossbar after hitting the top of the left post and the foot of the right post in the first-half. No player has hit the woodwork more times in a Premier League game since the start of the 2016-17 season, while no team has done so more than Brighton’s five since Opta began collecting such data in 2003-04.
When Trossard did finally hit the target, he was denied by David De Gea but March’s late header looked to have salvaged something for Brighton regardless. Alas, it wasn’t to be.
United could have had no complaints at drawing a game they could have easily lost, but equally, deserve credit for rousing themselves and snatching the most improbable and fortuitous of victories. “We got away with one, to be fair,” acknowledged Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
They were given a helping hand by VAR undoubtedly, but it is a big step forward that decisions being made in hindsight are done so by the referees themselves. It has taken longer than it should, but perhaps VAR is finally fit for purpose in the Premier League.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/33Zjj3r
Post a Comment