It seemed as though Scott McTominay had given Manchester United the lead by tapping the ball into the net in the seventh minute of the team’s encounter with Fulham.
The celebration was short-lived, though, as VAR stepped in and disallowed the score because Harry Maguire was in an offside position. Maguire was offside when Christian Eriksen placed a free kick within the box, as the VAR official had noted.
The matter of contention pertained to whether Maguire’s existence obstructed the play. The commentary team’s views on this differed. Conor Coady and Leon Osman have different views; Osman thought Maguire’s meddling was important, while Coady didn’t. It was clear that this call was subjective.
Fans vented their anger over the choice on social media, calling it “ridiculous” and “joke-like.” Some countered that it didn’t fit the description of a “clear and obvious” mistake.
Commentator Jermaine Jenas of TNT Sports shared his thoughts, arguing that Maguire’s attempt to make touch with the ball supported the offside call. Rio Ferdinand went on to say that there was a lack of clarity in the on-field judgment and the VAR’s involvement, but that the final decision was made correctly.
The VAR decision was a huge relief for Fulham. The previous manager of Aston Villa, Dean Smith, expressed his dismay, pointing out that McTominay has been scoring goals lately and that the free kick that resulted in the goal that was disallowed was routine. The choice demonstrated the ongoing discussions about VAR and how it affects gameplay.
