Is VAR not needed? Referee awarded a highly controversial penalty in the Arsenal vs Manchester United match
Liam Carter
Dailysports's expert
Translated by the editors
Arsenal hosted Manchester United in the third round of the FA Cup. The first half ended without goals, but both teams scored two goals in the second half.
However, the match will be remembered more for controversial referee decisions. Specifically, the referee awarded a penalty against Manchester United in the 72nd minute, which Martin Ødegaard failed to convert.
This decision is highly debatable, as it appeared to be a simulation by Kai Havertz.
The first scandalous moment of the game occurred in the 38th minute. Gabriel Jesus, in a tussle with United’s captain Fernandes, stepped on his foot, causing Bruno to fall to the ground.
Instead of awarding a foul and a dangerous free kick, the Portuguese player received a yellow card for aggressively reacting to the referee’s decision, who didn’t see any infringement.
It’s worth noting that VAR is not used at this stage of the FA Cup. Referees will only have access to this technology starting from the quarterfinals.
