Premier League Release Statement on Why Man Utd’s Goal Stood Despite Maguire’s Handball
- The Premier League released an official statement after Manchester United's second goal against Ipswich Town attracted controversy over a handball
- The contentious goal came when the ball struck Harry Maguire's arm before deflecting into the net during United's 5-2 victory at Old Trafford
- Both Michael Carrick and Harry Maguire acknowledged United were fortunate, while Ipswich boss Gary O'Neil voiced his frustration after the match
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The Premier League has released an official statement explaining why Manchester United's second goal in their 5-2 win over Ipswich Town was allowed to stand, despite the ball clearly making contact with Harry Maguire's arm before going into the net.
The controversy arose during United's home fixture at Old Trafford, where Ipswich had taken an early lead before United hit back with five goals.
Source: Getty Images
PFA Player of the Year Bruno Fernandes scored a hat-trick, while Nigerian forward Chuba Akpom grabbed one of the two goals for the visitors.
Premier League release statement
The Premier League's VAR review summary, published after the weekend's fixtures, clarified the decision and other controversial moments.
According to the statement, the contact with Maguire's arm was judged to be unintentional. Crucially, because the goal was classified as an own goal, the VAR official advised the on-field referee to allow play to continue and let the goal stand.
Under current handball rules, an unintentional touch that results in an own goal does not warrant disallowance.
The goal proved to be a turning point in the match, shifting momentum firmly in United's favour after Ipswich had threatened early on.
As reported by TNT Sports, both Maguire and Ipswich manager Michael Carrick acknowledged that fortune played a part in the goal.
The former United captain did not dispute that his arm was involved, and Carrick echoed that view, accepting that his side had benefited from a degree of luck at a decisive moment.
Ipswich head coach Gary O'Neil did not hide his frustration over the decision, though he also called on his players to raise their standards across several areas of the game following the defeat.
The result was United's first win of the new Premier League season, following an opening-day loss to Hull City.
Supercomputer predicts Premier League winner
Legit.ng previously reported that Opta's supercomputer rated Manchester United’s chances of winning the Premier League after the loss to Hull City.
However, the Red Devils redeemed themselves with a statement win over Ipswich Town in the second match, further boosting their chances.
Source: Legit.ng
