Premier League explain Man Utd handball decision Gary Neville labelled ‘ridiculous’

Referee Michael Salisbury controversially let Matheus Cunha’s goal stand (Picture: Getty Images)

The Premier League Match Centre has issued a statement on the controversial handball decision at Old Trafford, which Gary Neville labelled ‘ridiculous’.

Matheus Cunha scored Manchester United’s second goal of the game against Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon, but most expected it to be ruled out.

A cross reached Bryan Mbeumo, bobbled up and hit his arm before the Cameroonian forward got a shot off.

That was blocked and the ball fell to Cunha, who scored but VAR quickly reviewed the situation and sent referee Michael Salisbury to the screen to review the decision.

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Surprisingly, he let the goal stand, confirming that he saw Mbeumo’s handball as accidental. The Red Devils went on to win the game 3-2 and the Premier League Match Centre released an explanation as to why the controversial goal stood.

A post on X read: ‘After VAR review, the referee stuck with the original decision to award a goal to Manchester United.

‘Referee announcement: “After review, the decision of goal stands because the handball offence is accidental, therefore the final decision is goal.”’

"I think that's an absolute shocker in every single way!"Gary Neville reacts to the referee overruling VAR to allow Cunha's goal to stand. pic.twitter.com/aulQv1eKt0

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 17, 2026

Matheus Cunha scores Manchester United's second at Old Trafford! pic.twitter.com/aQhMuj4LCr

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 17, 2026

It was an unusual situation as it is not often VAR sends the referee to the screen and the ref chooses not to overturn the original decision.

Neville could not believe what he saw, believing it was clearly a handball that should have seen the goal chalked off.

‘Honestly, that is ridiculous,’ the former Manchester United defender said on Sky Sports. ‘The VAR has been clear: the player has handballed it.

Nottingham Forest players were baffled by the decision (Picture: Getty Images)

‘He looked at it for three minutes and the referee has looked at it for another minute. I can’t believe what I have just seen. That was handball. I don’t know what to say.

‘I think that is an absolute shocker in every single way. It’s ridiculous. The VAR have been quite clear, they said it has been disallowed, he has handballed it and brought the ball back into play. I can’t believe what I have just seen to be honest.

‘VAR looked at it for three minutes and then the referee looks at it for another minute. They are overthinking it. They have got themselves into a real mess there.’

Handball law

As part of Law 12 – Fouls and misconduct

HANDLING THE BALL

For the purposes of determining handball offences, the upper boundary of the arm is in line with the bottom of the armpit. Not every touch of a player’s hand/arm with the ball is an offence.

It is an offence if a player:

deliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball

touches the ball with their hand/arm when it has made their body unnaturally bigger. A player is considered to have made their body unnaturally bigger when the position of their hand/arm is not a consequence of, or justifiable by, the player’s body movement for that specific situation. By having their hand/arm in such a position, the player takes a risk of their hand/arm being hit by the ball and being penalised

scores in the opponents’ goal:

directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper immediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental.

IFAB Laws of the game

Premier League record goal-scorer Alan Shearer posted on X: ‘Wow. That’s disgraceful. Shocking shocking shocking. That’s a CLEAR hand ball.’

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