- Liverpool fans have questioned why Bryan Mbeumo’s goal against Liverpool was given despite a head injury
- Alexis Mac Allister suffered a head injury in the build-up, with football rules requiring the referee to stop play immediately
- Harry Maguire scored in the 84th minute to pile more pressure on Arne Slot, who has now lost four consecutive games
The reason why Bryan Mbeumo’s early goal against Liverpool was allowed to stand despite a head injury in the build-up has been revealed.
Source: Getty Images
Manchester United beat Liverpool at Anfield for the first time since January 2016 to send a clear statement of improvement under Ruben Amorim.
Amorim won back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since he was appointed last year, after masterminding a tactical masterclass at the home of their biggest rivals.
Mbeumo scored in the opening minute after shaking off the Liverpool defence to beat Giorgi Mamardashvili at his near post.
The goal was riddled with controversy as Liverpool players and fans questioned why the referee, Michael Oliver, didn’t stop play for a head injury.
Why Bryan Mbeumo’s goal vs Liverpool stood
Mbeumo, Alexis Mac Allister and Virgil Van Dijk challenged for the ball. Van Dijk’s elbow inadvertently caught Mac Allister in the head, leaving his teammate on the ground. Mbeumo quickly picked himself up and ended up finishing Amad Diallo’s pass.
Football rules require that officials must stop games immediately in the case of a head injury, but this wasn’t the case here.
In his commentary on Sky Sports, Peter Drury explained that the official communication that had been given was that Oliver missed the incident.
“What we are getting from the Match Centre is that the referee didn’t see the injury and was therefore obviously not able to stop the game,” he said via the Mirror.
Also, given that it was Van Dijk who had fouled his teammate, the VAR could not intervene to disallow the goal. Stopping the game was under the referee’s interpretation.
The hosts pushed hard for an equaliser with Cody Gakpo hitting the post thrice before eventually scoring in the 78th minute.
His joy was, however, short-lived as Harry Maguire popped in with a brilliant header on the other end to win the game for Manchester United.
Source: Getty Images
Arne Slot speaks on Mac Allister’s injury
Speaking after the game, Liverpool manager Arne Slot refused to blame the incident for his side’s loss but insisted play should have stopped.
“The healthcare of a player is something that is important, and if a player needs to have four stitches, you would hope that everybody understands that he needs immediate treatment,” he said via Liverpool’s website.
Why Arsenal were denied penalty vs Fulham
In a separate report, the Premier League explained why Arsenal were denied a penalty against Fulham for a foul on Bukayo Saka.
Anthony Taylor gave the free-kick initially before rescinding his decision after checking the VAR monitor.
The decision didn’t affect the Gunners as they went on to win the game 1-0.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
