Man Utd saved by “embarrassing” decision as ex-Premier League referee lays into VAR

Manchester United could have lost a third straight game against Everton were it not for Andy Madley controversially overturning his initial decision to award a stoppage time penalty for a shirt-pull on Ashley young

Manchester United were lucky to avoid giving away a penalty against Everton on Saturday after referee Andy Madley was shown the wrong angle of the incident during the 2-2 draw, claims ex-official Mark Halsey.

Everton were initially awarded a spot kick when Ashley Young was taken down in the area by a combination of Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt – who pulled the ex-Red Devil’s shirt.

But Madley was urged to review the incident on the monitor, though, according to Halsey, he was only shown the section of the footage where Maguire was adjudged to have fouled Young – not De Ligt pulling his shirt – and decided to overturn it.

Halsey – who officiated in the top flight for over a decade – said the whole saga was “embarrassing”, especially given that the foul involving Young was not a “clear and obvious” error.

“The decision to overturn a penalty awarded to Everton near the end of their 2-2 draw with Manchester United was clearly wrong,” he 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. Ashley Young’s shirt was pulled – and when an opponent does that in the penalty area he is asking for trouble.

“When Madley went to the monitor on the advice of VAR he was then shown the wrong footage. The Premier League Match Centre posted on social media that Harry Maguire’s challenge on Young had been checked and that no foul had been committed.

“But 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.”

Meanwhile, ex-official Keith Hackett called VAR’s decision to intervene in the stoppage time incident “farcical”.

He told Football Insider: “Come on guys you’re making decisions that are farcical, a correct decision overturned incorrectly, because of VAR intervention.

“Andy you’re better than this, tell the VAR to go and do one because you were correct in the first instance and you’ve now overturned a good decision and disallowed a penalty kick. You’re wrong.”

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