CONFIRMED: Manchester United was unfairly treated by the Premier League referee

According to exclusive information from journalist Mike Keegan (DailyMail), Head of Refereeing Howard Webb reached out to Manchester United’s leadership to acknowledge that referee Craig Pawson committed a major mistake in the recent 1-3 loss to Brentford.

Brentford secured a convincing 3-1 victory over Manchester United at Gtech Community Stadium last month. Igor Thiago opened the scoring in the 8th minute, capitalizing on Harry Maguire’s lapse in concentration following a long pass from Jordan Henderson. Just 12 minutes later, Thiago completed his brace, doubling Brentford’s lead with a quick finish after a rebound from Kevin Schade’s cross.

Benjamin Sesko pulled one back for Man Utd in the 26th minute after a chaotic sequence in front of the goal, needing three attempts to finally score. The turning point came in the second half when the Red Devils were awarded a penalty after Nathan Collins fouled Bryan Mbeumo inside the box. However, captain Bruno Fernandes’ penalty was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. Later, UK media revealed that refereeing chief Howard Webb contacted Man Utd to admit the officiating team made a mistake in this match.

Referee Craig Pawson issued only a yellow card instead of a red for Collins’ clear denial of a goal-scoring opportunity. The VAR operations center of the Premier League confirmed it reviewed the incident but judged that Mbeumo “had not fully controlled the ball,” so the penalty decision was not overturned. However, according to Daily Mail, Howard Webb (head of PGMOL) admitted this was an error. The case has reignited debates about VAR application and consistency in refereeing decisions.

After the match, coach Ruben Amorim stated: “The referee told me that Bryan hadn’t controlled the ball. But I think he couldn’t control it because he was pulled back. The media can judge for themselves; I don’t want to discuss the referee further.”

Meanwhile, former England striker Alan Shearer commented on the Match of the Dayprogram: “That should have been a red card. A terrible decision. Mbeumo couldn’t control the ball because he was pulled. Collins should have been sent off. There’s no doubt about it.”

Former Chelsea player Joe Cole also said on TNT Sports: “Collins was lucky to avoid a card. With a striker of Mbeumo’s quality, even a slight touch can result in a goal. This was clearly a golden scoring chance.”

Following the defeat to Brentford, pressure on coach Amorim remains high. However, Man Utd responded positively with a 2-0 victory over Sunderland at Old Trafford. Mason Mount voiced support for the coach: “We are 100% behind the coach. The team, coaching staff, and fans have all been hurt before, but this win is very important.”

Amorim also shared: “I know the players want to do their best and don’t want the club to change coaches repeatedly, but we have to prove that through our performance on the pitch.”

Man Utd enter the international break with improved morale before facing a tough away match at Liverpool’s Anfield on October 19. Currently, they sit 10th in the Premier League table with 10 points from 7 matches.

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