Why Was Man Utd Goal And Penalty Given At Fulham?

Manchester United were awarded a punishment against Fulham erstwhile Calvin Bassey dragged Mason Mount to nan crushed successful nan 33rd infinitesimal astatine Craven Cottage.

The foul was not fixed connected nan section but referee Chris Kavanagh was sent to nan surface by nan video adjunct referee (VAR) and nan determination was overturned.

Bruno Fernandes blazed nan spot-kick complete nan bar, but nan punishment grant near immoderate watching perplexed, fixed United full-back Luke Shaw appeared to perpetrate a very akin foul conscionable yards distant connected Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz astatine nan aforesaid time.

Ruben Amorim's broadside went connected to return nan lead successful nan 58th infinitesimal from a corner, pinch Leny Yoro's header deflecting disconnected Muniz.

As nan shot came in, though, Yoro appeared to push Bassey successful nan backmost pinch some hands, but this clip VAR did not intervene.

Let nan Ask Me Anything squad explicate why nan punishment was given, but nan foul earlier Manchester United's opener was not.

At first glance, nan punishment determination is simply a elemental 1 pinch Bassey grabbing Mount and throwing him to nan ground.

Given nan Premier League's stated purpose to crackdown connected pulling and holding astatine corners this season, successful portion brought successful to thief debar clip being wasted by referees delaying set-pieces being taken to pass nan players involved, it was nary astonishment it was given.

"Holding happens successful different places wrong nan punishment area - sometimes connected nan ball, sometimes disconnected nan shot and it varies successful position of extremes," Howard Webb, nan main refereeing serviceman said earlier nan commencement of nan season.

"What we've said to nan officials is if you get 1 of those situations wherever 1 subordinate is intelligibly dragging different 1 to nan level successful an utmost non-football action, moreover if it's disconnected nan ball, we expect nan referee to spot it."

The complication comes from nan truth Shaw besides seemed to beryllium fouling Muniz, conscionable down nan Bassey and Mount incident.

The United left-back had some arms wrapped astir nan Fulham guardant and some ended up connected nan ground.

While Shaw's drawback was considered a foul, nan punishment was still awarded because Bassey was deemed to person committed his foul first.

But not everyone agrees.

"The 2 fouls are simultaneous," erstwhile England goalkeeper Rob Green told BBC Sport.

"Shaw has 2 arms information his force successful a holding action astatine nan aforesaid clip arsenic Bassey does. So a punishment seems harsh."

Further Fulham vexation followed erstwhile United took nan lead astatine Craven Cottage.

French defender Yoro had some hands connected Bassey's back, but arsenic nan referee did not rustle for a free-kick, it was wished location was not capable unit successful nan action to warrant a foul.

This article is nan latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

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