VAR review: Should Man United have gotten a penalty? Why was Maguire sent off?

Old Trafford, 67th minute. Amad Diallo arcs into the Bournemouth box, feels the hand of Adrien Truffert on his shoulder, and hits the turf. Referee Stuart Attwell waves play on; within seconds the Cherries break, the net ripples, and the stadium erupts in fury. In the VAR hub at Stockley Park, Craig Pawson’s screen splits: left panel, the penalty shout; right panel, the goal that followed. Protocol demands an “official” rather than “background” review once the ball is in United’s net, so Pawson rewinds the phase frame by frame. Truffert’s arm, he concludes, is merely resting across Diallo in a “neutral” run; no pull, no twist, no foul. The on-field call stands, the goal stands, and United’s players surround Attwell in vain.

Eleven minutes later the temperature spikes again. Evanilson latches onto a loose ball, bears down on goal, and feels Harry Maguire’s arms clamp around his waist. Attwell’s whistle is instant: penalty, and a red for denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. Pawson’s second review is equally swift. Replays show Maguire never attempts to play the ball; instead he drags Evanilson to the turf inside the D. Clear holding, clear DOGSO. No clear error, therefore no intervention. United down to ten, Bournemouth spot-kick pending, and the VAR ledger closed.

Former Select Group official Andy Davies, reviewing the calls for publication, labels the first “normal contact in motion” and the second “a textbook red.” The arm-bar that so incensed United, he argues, was “invited contact” rather than illegal restraint, while Maguire’s rugby-tackle was “as obvious a red as you’ll see.” In both cases, Pawson’s silent check marks mirrored the on-field judgement: no penalty for Truffert, no reprieve for Maguire. The technology, once again, policed the grey areas and left the grey shirts to rue the consequences.