Official response from the Premier League: why was Manchester United not awarded a penalty against Fulham?
The Premier League has released an official explanation and audio transcripts regarding a controversial decision not to award Manchester United a penalty against Fulham. The league cited VAR confirmation that the defender's arm was close to his body as the reason for the no-call.
Why it matters
This highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the transparency and consistency of VAR technology in professional football.
Official response from the Premier League: why was Manchester United not awarded a penalty against Fulham? Fulham vs Manchester United Fulham Manchester United Premier League England Disappointing draw for Manchester United
Manchester United were denied a penalty against Fulham despite the ball striking Calvin Bassey's hand, and the decision sparked widespread controversy.
Replays showed clear contact after Lisandro Martinez played the ball towards the Fulham defender in the 86th minute of Sunday's 1-1 draw.
United were trailing by a single goal at the time, fighting to salvage a point.
Referee Peter Bankes waved play on, and his fellow officials backed him according to The Sun.
The Premier League have since shown complete transparency over the incident, publishing a statement through their Match Centre on X.
They also released the full text of the conversation between Bankes, assistant referee Dan Cook and video assistant referee Nick Hopton.
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