Howard Webb, the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO) chief refereeing officer, has admitted to Nottingham Forest that Michael Salisbury was wrong not to disallow Matheus Cunha’s goal owing to Bryan Mbeumo’s handball in Manchester United’s 3-2 win on Sunday at Old Trafford.
Salisbury’s decision was judged by Webb as being too lenient with regard to the Premier League’s approach to the handball laws. The competition does allow leeway in terms of players’ natural movements. But in Mbeumo’s case Webb felt Salisbury misjudged the incident as an unintentional handball so when Matt Donohue, the video assistant referee, asked Salisbury to review the 55th-minute incident on the pitchside monitor the decision should have been overturned.
