Manchester United vs Nottingham Forest handball controversy

Manchester United's 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest was decided by a goal that did not survive the officials' scrutiny, even if it stood on the night. VAR checked the handball incident for 3 minutes before referee Michael Salisbury was sent to the pitchside monitor, and Matheus Cunha's 54th-minute goal was allowed to stand despite the controversy. United's players did not even celebrate when the ball hit the net. Two former referees later said that was the wrong call.

Why the former referees say the goal should not have stood

Mark Halsey was blunt about it. He said: "Matheus Cunha's controversial goal should have been disallowed. Bryan Mbeumo clearly controlled the ball with his arm and that action paved the way for Cunha to hit the back of the net." He also added: "I like to see referees stick with on-field decisions when they view incidents on pitchside monitors, but I believe that was the wrong outcome."

Dermot Gallagher took the same view. "I think it should be disallowed. It should be handball," he said, before arguing that Michael gets seduced by the directive that if it comes off your body and strikes your arm, it's accidental, carry on. Gallagher also said his arm comes in and cushions the ball, which is why he sees it as a handball.

Gary Neville was equally critical in his live reaction, calling it "an absolute shocker in every single way" and saying VAR had been quite clear that it had to be disallowed. The basic complaint from all three is the same. If the arm helps control the ball in the build-up, the goal should not survive the review.

What PGMOL said about the incident

PGMOL's explanation points the other way. Dale Johnson said: "Mbuemo's shot had gone in, the goal would have to be disallowed. Because it was blocked, it can be allowed to stand and becomes a subjective judgement of the handball offence."

That is the crux of the disagreement. The critics think the handball influence was enough to rule out the goal. PGMOL's reading is that the blocked shot left Salisbury with a subjective call, rather than an automatic disallowal.

The result and the wider match details will matter less than the process here. Bruno Fernandes finished with 20 Premier League assists this season and an 8.5 rating against Nottingham Forest, while Cunha scored once and was rated 8.3, but the decision that will keep being replayed is the one on the monitor. If this sort of incident is left to interpretation, it is easy to see why the officials and the former referees came out with such different answers.