Manchester United Fans Furious as Referee Overlooks an Apparent Foul

Saliba’s Foul Tackle on Matheus Cunha Ignored by Referee, Received Criticism from Manchester United and Fans

The opening weekend of the Premier League season led to a few major controversies. As the Manchester United vs Arsenal game on Sunday reached its final minutes, William Saliba tackled Matheus Cunha; however, the referee overlooked Saliba’s ball tackle, resulting in Arsenal’s win. Penalty was not given to Manchester United, despite repeated appeals.

Saliba’s Tackle Sparks Debate, Referee’s Decision Criticized

Ruben Amorim, the manager of Manchester United, said that Saliba stood close to the goalkeeper, Altay Bayindir, restricting his ability to deal cleanly with the ball.

He further added, “I think it’s clear. Players are touching the goalkeeper without the idea of going for the ball. That is not allowed. It’s protecting the attacking guy and saying that we want (more) goals. But when you are touching the goalkeeper in that way, I think it’s hard.”

Why André Onana Didn’t Start?

When asked why André Onana didn’t start the game, Amorim said that “I didn’t drop Onana from the squad, I didn’t drop one of the other two from the squad. So it’s not the case of dropping Onana, it’s not putting Andre Onana with just one week [of training], without seeing a game, without time with training. And like you say, guys, like Tom and Altay during the pre-season, they did a good job.”

Onana injured his hamstring in July but aims to return better than before. Since returning from the layoff, he has reportedly trained only three times and was found alone working at a training ground.

The manager of Manchester United finally ended his remarks showing confidence in his football team, “I think we proved today that we can win any game in the Premier League, especially against a great team like Arsenal, and we were the better team. So I’m happy with the players,” he added.

To sum up, Manchester United and their fans didn’t appreciate the referee’s decision to ignore an apparent foul on Matheus Cunha. Ruben Amorim also severely criticized this decision and explained that touching the goalkeeper without the idea of going for the ball is not allowed in football.

He said that he was proud of the Manchester United players and that they could win any game in the Premier League, even against a strong team like Arsenal. He also mockingly remarked that their team was better than Arsenal.