THE PREMIER LEAGUE have released a statement explaining the award of West Ham’s controversial penalty against Manchester United.
Referee David Coote did not give a spot kick after Matthijs de Ligt came together with Danny Ings in the area.
A VAR review took place and Coote was instructed to view the incident on the monitor.
He did so and ended up giving the penalty, before the Premier League made comment on their Match Centre account on X, claiming there was “sufficient contact”.
They said: “The referee did not award a penalty to West Ham for a challenge by de Ligt on Ings.
“The VAR deemed there was sufficient contact on Ings’ lower leg and recommended an on-field review.
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“The referee overturned his original decision and awarded a penalty.”
Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag confronted the officials after the game and looked incensed by the decision.
When asked about the controversial call, he said: “Three times this season we feel injustice.
“Unfair and unjust the way we conceded the penalty.
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“It was so difficult to see. Before the season there was the instruction about VAR only interfering in clear and obvious mistakes.
“That is definitely not a clear and obvious mistake from the on field referee.
“More frustrations but I can do nothing with that. They don’t collect points and that’s what we have to do.
“We have to look in the mirror, we don’t score in a good game from our side. Create loads of chances and concede none but when you lose in this way it’s a bad feeling.”
Asked whether he had talked to the officials, he added: “I spoke with them. But the decision is made. There’s no way back and that’s football.
“That’s a third time I have felt injustice in the season and it has a big impact on our team and on our scores and where we are in the table. It’s not right.”
Man Utd ratings vs West Ham
THE LONDON STADIUM was the venue for the latest defeat in a shocker of a season.
To be fair, it was a hugely controversial VAR call in the dying moments that handed West Ham a 2-1 win.
And the first half from the Red Devils was impressive.
Here’s how SunSport’s Jack Rosser rated the players…
Andre Onana – 6
Very loose with the ball at his feet early on but soon settled.
Manchester United conceded from West Ham’s first shot on target, though given Ings’ deflected strike there was little Onana could have done about it.
Diogo Dalot – 5
Delivered one of the most entertaining missed chances you will see all season – doing so well to clip the ball past Lukasz Fabianski before smashing the ball high and wide of an open goal.
Despite that, had little trouble from those in claret and blue attacking down his side until Summerville was introduced. The former Leeds man tested Dalot a number of times with his pace.
Redeemed himself a touch with the header back in ahead of Casemiro’s equaliser.
Matthijs de Ligt – 6
Hard done by in conceding the penalty for what looked a soft challenge on Hammers striker Ings.
Restricted West Ham well for the most part but United never looked entirely comfortable at the back and a more potent attack could have caused much more trouble.
Lisandro Martinez – 6
Struggled at times to deal with the strength and direct nature of Michail Antonio, who tested all across United’s back line well until he was replaced by Ings.
Noussair Mazraoui – 5
Struggled to keep a handle on both Bowen and former Manchester United man Aaron Wan-Bissaka for the most part and was thrown around by Michail Antonio at times.
Having looked soft at the back he also offered very little going forwards down the left.
Casemiro – 6
Started strongly dominating in the middle but struggled to wrestle that back when West Ham picked up.
Was denied a first half goal by Fabianski’s superb save but got one eventually as he refused to give up and made sure the ball.
Christian Eriksen – 5
Some flashes of creativity in the first half but could not help United keep control in the second after West Ham perked up.
Marcus Rashford – 4
Entirely absent throughout the hour he was on the pitch. Played down the right he was easily managed by Emerson Palmieri who had little of note to do before the winger went off.
Bruno Fernandes – 7
Caused huge problems for West Ham and created plenty of chances which his teammates put to waste.
Fernandes made a fine run to meet a Casemiro cross but headed over the bar and had to watch both Garnacho and Dalot pass up huge chances after his good work to set them up – especially the latter, a wonderful looped ball to cut out the entire West Ham defence.
Alejandro Garnacho – 5
The young winger should have had two goals inside the opening eight minutes. One chance was rattled against the bar before a poor finish sent the second wide of the far post.
He continued to cause trouble down the left but faded as the game went on and crucially gave the ball away in the build-up to Summerville’s goal.
Rasmus Hojlund – 5
Drew a couple of saves from Hammers keeper Fabianski but neither looked too difficult.
The Dane was rather comfortably dealt with by West Ham’s central defenders and never looked too much of a threat.
Substitutes
Amad Diallo – 6
Added some life and threat to a forward line which had offered little after the break and lifted a clever ball over to Dalot in the build-up to Casemiro’s goal.
Joshua Zirkzee – 5
Claimed an assist but did not know a lot about it and struggled to have an impact from there on.
Victor Lindelof – n/a
Unused subs: Altay Bayindir, Manuel Ugarte, Jonny Evans, Ethan Wheatley, Harry Amass, Jack Fletcher.
Many fans had similar feelings about the decision as they took to social media to vent their frustration.
One said: “That’s a disgrace. The game is gone, I can’t believe I witnessed this being given as a penalty.”
Another added: “Not enough for a penalty. Contact not sufficient. Shouldn’t even have gone to the VAR. United robbed!”
A third replied: “Manchester United were robbed in my opinion. Not a penalty.”
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While a fourth responded: “VAR HAS MADE AN ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE MISTAKE!”
The result lifts West Ham above Man Utd into 13th place, one spot above Ten Hag’s men who are already seven points adrift of a Champions League place.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
