BOURNEMOUTH, England – Manchester United’s head coach, Michael Carrick, has criticized referee Stuart Attwell’s decision-making during his team’s dramatic 2-2 draw against Bournemouth in the Premier League, describing it as “baffling” and “astonishing.”
United initially took the lead in the 61st minute, with Bruno Fernandes converting a penalty awarded after Bournemouth defender Alex Jimenez tugged on Matheus Cunha’s shirt in the box.
Shortly afterward, Diallo was fouled by Adrian Truffert inside the penalty area; however, VAR determined that the contact was “not sufficient to warrant a foul,” dismissing United’s appeals for another penalty. Just moments later, Bournemouth equalized through Ryan Christie.
Manchester United regained the lead in the 71st minute when James Hill inadvertently deflected a corner kick from Fernandes into his own net. The momentum shifted again when captain Harry Maguire was shown a red card for bringing down striker Evanilsson inside the penalty area, allowing Bournemouth to equalize via a penalty.
Bournemouth’s manager, Andoni Iraola, claimed Diallo’s incident did not merit a penalty, but Carrick countered that both situations involving Cunha and Diallo were similar in nature.
“One of the decisions was clearly incorrect. He awarded us one penalty for an incident very similar to the one in which Amad was involved—and chose not to give it,” Carrick said at a press conference. “If there are two hands on a player in the box resulting in a fall, it should be considered a penalty in both cases.”
Carrick expressed his frustration with the impact of these decisions, noting that a missed call on the second penalty shifted the game’s dynamics dramatically. “This is a significant moment in the match. Because they scored immediately afterward, our need for a clear penalty became heightened, even though it should have been recognized earlier,” he explained. “Defensive resilience with ten men was commendable, but the penalty calls remained perplexing.”
Captaining the side, Bruno Fernandes echoed Carrick’s sentiments, highlighting the inconsistencies in the officiating. “I faced a similar situation to Amad but was not awarded a penalty,” Fernandes told Sky Sports. “I appreciate that it’s difficult for referees to grant multiple penalties, but I struggle to understand why VAR did not intervene in that case or with Harry’s incident.”
Fernandes added: “Amad was in a position to shoot, yet he was pushed, clearly thrown off balance. There’s a widespread belief that smaller players are viewed as soft, while larger players receive more protection. In this case, both situations should have warranted penalties.” He underlined that both incidents could potentially have altered the course of the match significantly.
Currently, United stands third in the Premier League, hoping that Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Chelsea drop points this weekend, which would enhance their chances of cracking the top five and securing a place in next season’s Champions League.
PA contributed to this report.
