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  "path": "/2026/05/17/premier-league-explain-man-utd-handball-decision-gary-neville-labelled-ridiculous-28406815/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-05-17T13:43:50.000Z",
  "site": "https://metro.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Football",
    "Sport",
    "Gary Neville",
    "Manchester United",
    "Matheus Cunha",
    "Nottingham Forest",
    "Premier League",
    "Old Trafford",
    "Bryan Mbeumo",
    "sign up here",
    "pic.twitter.com/aulQv1eKt0",
    "May 17, 2026",
    "pic.twitter.com/aQhMuj4LCr",
    "Sky Sports",
    "IFAB Laws of the game",
    "Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source",
    "@SkySportsPL"
  ],
  "textContent": "Referee Michael Salisbury controversially let Matheus Cunha’s goal stand (Picture: Getty Images)\n\nThe Premier League Match Centre has issued a statement on the controversial handball decision at Old Trafford, which Gary Neville labelled ‘ridiculous’.\n\nMatheus Cunha scored Manchester United’s second goal of the game against Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon, but most expected it to be ruled out.\n\nA cross reached Bryan Mbeumo, bobbled up and hit his arm before the Cameroonian forward got a shot off.\n\nThat 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.\n\n##  Get ready for the World Cup\n\nGet previews of every single team at the World Cup sent directly to your inbox, featuring the players to look out for, games you shouldn’t miss and Metro’s big England predictions. Don't miss out, sign up here.\n\nSurprisingly, 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.\n\nA post on X read: ‘After VAR review, the referee stuck with the original decision to award a goal to Manchester United.\n\n‘Referee announcement: “After review, the decision of goal stands because the handball offence is accidental, therefore the final decision is goal.”’\n\n> \"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\n>\n> — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 17, 2026\n\n> Matheus Cunha scores Manchester United's second at Old Trafford! pic.twitter.com/aQhMuj4LCr\n>\n> — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) May 17, 2026\n\nIt 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.\n\nNeville could not believe what he saw, believing it was clearly a handball that should have seen the goal chalked off.\n\n‘Honestly, that is ridiculous,’ the former Manchester United defender said on Sky Sports. ‘The VAR has been clear: the player has handballed it.\n\nNottingham Forest players were baffled by the decision (Picture: Getty Images)\n\n‘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.\n\n‘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.\n\n‘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.’\n\n##  Handball law\n\nAs part of Law 12 – Fouls and misconduct\n\nHANDLING THE BALL\n\nFor 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.\n\nIt is an offence if a player:\n\ndeliberately touches the ball with their hand/arm, for example moving the hand/arm towards the ball\n\ntouches 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\n\nscores in the opponents’ goal:\n\ndirectly from their hand/arm, even if accidental, including by the goalkeeper\nimmediately after the ball has touched their hand/arm, even if accidental.\n\nIFAB Laws of the game\n\nPremier League record goal-scorer Alan Shearer posted on X: ‘Wow. That’s disgraceful. Shocking shocking shocking. That’s a CLEAR hand ball.’\n\nComment now Comments \nAdd Metro as a Preferred Source on Google\nAdd as preferred source\n",
  "title": "Premier League explain Man Utd handball decision Gary Neville labelled ‘ridiculous’"
}