‘Doesn’t feel right’: Man U handball goal leaves rivals furious
The rules around handball left Ipswich players furious after a controversial goal was awarded to Manchester United in the side’s 5-2 defeat on Monday (AEST).
Scores were level at 1-1 early in the second half when the ball came flying towards Maguire and made contact with his arm before dropping to the turf.
Ipswich players appeal as the ball bounces into the air after striking Harry Maguire’s arm. Stan Sport
Maguire then darted forward and sent a blistering shot towards the goal, while nearby Ipswich players appealed to the referee for a handball ruling.
The shot was heading wide but miraculously deflected off the leg of Jacob Greaves and swung into the back of the net, earning a massive roar from the home crowd.
Referee Craig Pawson waited for a VAR review of the goal to be conducted before signalling that it would stand. Ipswich were filthy with the decision.
But Pawson clarified that as it was an own goal and accidental handball by Maguire, the incident was unable to be dealt with on review.
“It is a complicated rule - handball if it’s the goalscorer, but not if it takes a deflection and is heading off the target. I think that is tough for a referee,” Ipswich manager Gary O’Neil told Sky Sports post-match.
“But I’m not here to moan about refs. We get no points at Old Trafford.”
As per the rule book, there are three exemptions for when an accidental handball by the goalscorer does not count. Those are that the goal is not scored immediately, the goal is scored by a teammate or when the action of a defender results in an own goal like it did with Greaves.
Former Ipswich forward Darren Bent admitted the rule still “doesn’t feel right”.
“It’s one of those rules where I understand because it is there in black and white,” he added on Sky Sports’ coverage of the match.
“If it hits your hand and he is the one that directly impacts it, it’s not a nice one to take.”
Maguire said post-match that he didn’t handle the ball deliberately, nor did he believe that it even “touched my fingers”.
Maguire looks on after taking a shot at goal. Getty Images
“I actually dragged the shot a bit wide, so I think it’ll go down as an own goal, unfortunately. That’s probably the reason it counted,” he said.
“If it was my goal, they disallow it, which are the rules nowadays. Thankfully, it was on our side and I think we deserved the win and that little bit of luck.”
Not even two minutes after Maguire’s controversial goal, United were awarded a penalty after Greaves fouled Matheus Cunha inside the box.
Bruno Fernandes, who scored his team’s first goal, nailed the penalty and then scored his third goal five minutes later. Bryan Mbeumo lifted United’s score to five when he found the back of the net in the 82nd minute.
Ipswich’s Chuba Akpom scored in the first minute of additional time to narrow his side’s defeat to 5-2.
Elsewhere, Chelsea beat Brighton 4-3 at Stamford Bridge, while Sunderland recorded a 1-0 win over Fulham.
Leeds and Brentford could not break the stalemate, with their game ending in a 1-1 draw.
Aston Villa will take on reigning Premier League champions Arsenal in the final match of match week two on Tuesday morning (AEST).
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