The Premier League have come out to explain why West Ham were awarded a controversial late penalty in their 2-1 win against Manchester United on Sunday.
Matthijs de Ligt was adjudged to have fouled Danny Ings in the final minute of at the London Stadium after a lengthy VAR review.
The Netherlands international was furious when the VAR review popped up on the screen in the London Stadium, arguing with the referee that Ings appeared to handle the ball.
But despite what seemed to be minimal contact, West Ham were awarded a spot kick, sparking immediate questions over why VAR decided to get involved.
Jarrod Bowen stepped up to send a powerful shot into the bottom right-hand corner and seal a 2-1 victory for West Ham.
Explaining the decision, the Premier League Match Centre posted on social media (via talkSPORT): “The referee did not award a penalty to West Ham for a challenge by De Ligt on Ings. The VAR deemed there was sufficient contact on Ings’ lower leg and recommended an on-field review. The referee overturned his original decision and awarded a penalty.”
The defeat piled yet more pressure on United boss Ten Hag, who was left baffled by VAR’s decision to intervene at such a crucial moment.
He said: “It was so difficult to see. Before the season there was the instruction about VAR only interfering in clear and obvious mistakes. That is definitely not a clear and obvious mistake from the on field referee.
“More frustrations but I can do nothing with that. They don’t collect points and that’s what we have to do. We have to look in the mirror, we don’t score in a good game from our side. Create loads of chances and concede none but when you lose in this way it’s a bad feeling.”
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He added in his press conference: “So, first of all in football the best team does not always win, today that was clear and obvious.
“But clear and obvious was not the way the VAR worked. Before the season they explained the process of the VAR, and only when it’s clear and obvious should they interfere.
“What they didn’t do against Spurs, when they should have done it, to interfere with the red card for Bruno, and now they make the wrong decision interfering, and both have a big impact on the scores of the games.
“I’m not criticising any person, I criticise the process. It had a big impact on the score. The other impact was that we didn’t score.”
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