Were Manchester United right to feel aggrieved after their 3-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates? We take a look at the controversial VAR calls with insight from Ref Watch's Dermot Gallagher and The Football Show's Stephen Warnock...
Monday 25 April 2022 13:52, UK
Ralf Rangnick questioned the refereeing and VAR over four key decisions during Manchester United's 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on Saturday. "We were at least unlucky with those three or four moments," he said.
Did he have a point? Let's take a look with insight from Ref Watch's Dermot Gallagher alongside Stephen Warnock...
Jadon Sancho went on one of his trademark mazy runs and sent Cedric Soares back towards his own goal.
The Arsenal full-back lost his balance and stumbled to the ground before appearing to stop the ball with his hand.
Sancho appealed for what could have been a free-kick or a penalty, with the incident right on the edge of the penalty area.
However, referee Craig Pawson waved away the appeals, and there was no VAR intervention either.
Rangnick highlighted the incident after the game, saying: "There was another handball issue in the first half, Jadon Sancho was involved."
Gallagher said on Ref Watch: "It's covered in law because his arm is on the ground, so it's deemed supporting his body and it struck him rather than him striking the ball. I don't think it was a scoop.
"That's what the referee works too - supporting your body, striking the arm and they don't give a penalty."
However, Warnock disagreed, explaining: "I thought it was a pen. It doesn't matter if you're going down and you're off balance, that's your own fault for not being able to keep your balance.
"If he doesn't do that, Jadon Sancho is in at goal. It prevents an opportunity for Man Utd. I couldn't believe it when I saw it, I thought it was a stonewall penalty.
"When I was playing, if I go down and the ball hits my hand, I'm petrified that I've given away a penalty. It's supporting you, but I don't see you."
Manchester United had the ball in the back of the net in the 58th minute when Victor Lindelof flicked the ball into the path of Cristiano Ronaldo, who swept home from eight yards for what he thought was his second goal of the game.
Initially, he did look offside but VAR checked the incident, and on second viewing, it was a tighter call than everyone thought.
Ben White's foot was very close to playing the Portugal international onside, but, after the lines had been drawn on the pictures, offside was given.
However, Rangnick also highlighted this decision in his post-match press conference, and the German was adamant Ronaldo was onside.
He said: "The second goal of Cristiano was not offside and you can even see it in that total perspective exactly in one line. I just saw it right now after the game and if this is the right picture, and I suppose they showed me the right picture, you could see it. It was clearly one line in one line."
On what was proving to be a busy day for referee Pawson, Anthony Elanga got in behind Nuno Tavares, who found himself on the wrong side. The left-back got a bit too tight to Elanga, who went down in the penalty area, but the referee again waved away the United appeals and the VAR stayed with the on-field decision.
Again, Rangnick questioned the decision: "Anthony Elanga was arm-in-arm with [Tavares], the other player with him. At least, also questionable."
But Gallagher does not think there was a penalty there, saying: "Not enough for me. He goes down a bit too easily and it's not a penalty for me. The arm touches him, there's no doubt about that, but I don't think there was enough in it."
"Their third goal was clearly offside," said an unhappy Rangnick after the game.
Granit Xhaka unleashed a strike from 25 yards with power and precision, and the ball flew past David de Gea and into the bottom corner to spark wild celebrations at the Emirates Stadium.
However, pictures show Eddie Nketiah was standing in an offside position, but was he blocking the Man Utd goalkeeper's view? The goal stood, but, again, Rangnick was firm with his views.
He added: "I spoke to David de Gea after the game and he said to me he just couldn't see the ball because Nketiah was in between Granit Xhaka and himself. They checked it but for whatever reason still gave the goal."
Gallagher went some way to clear up any grievances, explaining: "It was felt that the distance he was from the goalkeeper was too far to be in the line of vision so they were of the opinion that he was too far out.
"I think it occurred earlier this season, there was a similar one with Teemu Pukki at Norwich when the goal was given so they have been consistent.
"His position of looking round, he is looking around Lindelof as well, so you could argue he had been looking around Lindelof anyhow."
But Warnock agreed with Rangnick, adding: "I think it's offside. It's in the eye line, I don't think it matters the distance away. If De Gea has to take that step and adjust his body movement as to where he wants to move and plant his foot and get his footwork right, I think it was offside."
Of course, there were far more incidents that required Gallagher's expert eye on Ref Watch.
Around the half an hour mark, Martin Odegaard picked out Bukayo Saka, who was bundled to the ground inside the box before the ball fell loose to Nketiah, who ticked the ball home.
The Arsenal celebrations were initially cut short as the effort was ruled out for offside by VAR, but the technology then took another look at the challenge on Saka by Alex Telles.
Referee Craig Pawson was sent over to the pitchside monitor and eventually awarded the penalty to Arsenal, with Saka once again stepping up as he did at Chelsea on Wednesday night to slot home.
Gallagher said: "The interesting thing about this was that the referee always thought it was a penalty, but he was playing the advantage because eh thought Nketiah would score.
"Because he was offside, he couldn't score so it reverted back. VAR sent him to the monitor to check whether it was a penalty and he gave it, but they are of the opinion that it was always a foul and they were just playing on."
Warnock added: "It was great that the process was done properly by VAR because as soon as you see that tackle going in, you think it's a penalty. It's a clear one too so a really good decision."
Man Utd could have ended the game with ten men too after a crunching tackle from Bruno Fernandes on Nuno Tavares.
Gallagher was critical of the midfielder - who missed a penalty during the game - saying: "Why would you do this? VAR looked at it and backed the referee, but I think it's a red card because it's just so late… He's really lucky."
