The Premier League has published the officials’ conversation behind Manchester United’s late penalty appeal during the 1-1 draw with Fulham at Craven Cottage.
United were trailing 1-0 in the 86th minute when they appealed for handball against Fulham defender Calvin Bassey.
The assistant referee acknowledged that the ball had struck Bassey’s arm but judged that his arm was sufficiently close to his body for play to continue.
The incident was subsequently checked by VAR, which agreed with the on-field assessment and confirmed referee Peter Bankes’s decision not to award a penalty.
The Premier League Match Centre has now released the conversation explaining how the officials reached the decision.
The incident came one week after refereeing decisions involving United’s Manchester derby defeat generated controversy.
Unlike the derby incident, the Premier League has backed the decision made at Craven Cottage and published the reasoning behind the VAR review.
United remained behind following the penalty appeal before Matheus Cunha scored an 89th-minute equaliser to secure a point.
