Manchester United to file complaint over referee decisions in Bournemouth draw
Manchester United are set to lodge an official complaint with PGMOL chief Howard Webb following what the club considers another costly refereeing error during Friday’s Premier League encounter at Bournemouth, reports BritPanorama.
Director of football Jason Wilcox is expected to formally raise concerns with the referees’ body later today after the 2-2 draw at the Vitality Stadium. Senior figures at Old Trafford are reportedly furious about match official Stuart Attwell’s handling of two near-identical penalty incidents during the second half.
The Red Devils twice held the lead through Bruno Fernandes’s spot-kick and a James Hill own goal, but goals from Ryan Christie and Junior Kroupi’s penalty ensured the points were shared on the south coast. The incident at the heart of United’s grievance occurred in the 67th minute when Amad Diallo appeared to be wrestled to the ground by Bournemouth left-back Adrien Truffert inside the penalty area.
Attwell, positioned close to the challenge, waved play on rather than pointing to the spot. VAR officials reviewed the incident but opted to uphold the referee’s original decision. Within moments, Christie had found the net to level the scores at 1-1.
United’s frustration intensified later in the match when Attwell awarded Bournemouth a penalty for Harry Maguire’s challenge on Evanilson, which the club believes was remarkably similar to Truffert’s earlier foul on Diallo. The England defender was also shown a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity, ruling him out of one fixture.
Interim manager Michael Carrick made no attempt to hide his anger following the final whistle. “For him to give one penalty and not the other… I find it crazy,” he said. “I cannot understand it. Mental. It’s astonishing. One of them must be wrong.” Carrick described both challenges as “pretty much identical” and characterised them as “two-handed grabs.”
“A big opportunity to go 2-0 up and we get one penalty and not the other,” he added. “It’s a bit baffling, really.” The United boss confirmed he had not spoken with Attwell after the match and dismissed the prospect of any subsequent apology from officials. “Once it’s done, it’s done,” Carrick stated. “Whether they apologise or not, it’s done now.”
This is not the first occasion this season that United have felt aggrieved by officiating decisions, with several involving Attwell himself. The 43-year-old referee disallowed a Lisandro Martinez goal during January’s fixture against Burnley at Turf Moor, a decision the club believed was incorrect. United have also raised concerns about a failure to dismiss Brentford’s Nathan Collins for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity in circumstances almost identical to Maguire’s red card on Friday, as well as a penalty not given during their match at Wolves.
Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett backed United’s position, telling Football Insider that the foul on Diallo was a “clear offence.” “VAR should have intervened on the first one and awarded Man Utd a penalty kick,” Hackett said.
This ongoing saga underlines how single moments can shift the course of matches, igniting controversy in a league that thrives on tension and competitiveness.
