Former Premier League striker, Alan Shearer, has expressed his dissatisfaction with the Premier League’s explanation following a controversial penalty decision in the match between Manchester United and Everton.
Manchester United managed to secure a 2-2 draw against Everton after staging an impressive second-half comeback. Goals from Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte helped Rúben Amorim’s side salvage a point at Goodison Park. Everton took control of the game early on, dictating the tempo and pressing aggressively. Their efforts bore fruit when Beto capitalized on poor defending to score his fifth goal in four matches. The hosts further extended their lead when Abdoulaye Doucouré overpowered Harry Maguire to tuck in a rebound after André Onana’s save.
Despite facing an uphill battle, United returned from halftime with renewed vigor but still struggled to assert dominance. However, Bruno Fernandes sparked hope for United fans by scoring a stunning free kick that curled into the top corner with just 20 minutes left of play. Shortly after, Manuel Ugarte produced an equally brilliant strike bringing United level and setting up an intense finale.
Controversial penalty decision sparks debate
The drama escalated when Matthijs de Ligt brought down Ashley Young in the box during closing moments of the match. It seemed like Everton was about to snatch victory from the penalty spot until VAR intervened and overturned this decision ensuring that Manchester held onto their hard-fought draw.
The Premier League later clarified its stance stating that "no foul had been committed" by Maguire which led to VAR recommending an on-field review of referee Andy Madley's initial call for penalty against Everton.
Shearer's take on the matter
Alan Shearer voiced his opinion regarding these decisions while speaking on BBC One’s Match of The Day programme. He criticized the Premier League's justification and VAR's intervention, arguing that the on-field decision to award a penalty was correct and that the reassessment of this call should not have been necessary.
Alan Shearer, Premier League legend, said:
“Whatever happened to the high bar, clear and obvious and not re-refereeing games? There was no need for VAR to get involved at all because it wasn’t a clear and obvious error,”
“Yes, Ashley Young tries to make the most of it, but there’s two clear pulls on his shirt. It’s clear to see. The referee gives the penalty, then he’s sent to the screen…but what is mind-boggling to me is that they don’t show him the correct angles. They show him one angle when it might look a bit of a dive, they show him another and then straight away he’s off [to overturn the decision] that would be most confusing to me. I agree with David Moyes. It’s as if they are trying to force the referee into a decision and for me they get it wrong.”
Shearer’s comments reflect a growing sentiment among sports fans who feel that VAR is increasingly influencing match outcomes. This incident has sparked further debate about the role of technology in football and its impact on game dynamics. While Manchester United managed to secure a draw against Everton, it was not without controversy. The Premier League's explanation for overturning what seemed like a clear penalty has drawn criticism from various quarters including Alan Shearer, adding fuel to ongoing discussions about VAR's role in football.
