Sport Nation 2Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag expressed frustration over what he described as an “unfair and unjust” 2-1 defeat to West Ham United after a controversial late penalty decision. Ten Hag criticized the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervention, arguing that it contradicted pre-season guidance for VAR to only address clear and obvious mistakes.
The penalty decision came in the second minute of injury time when referee David Coote initially dismissed West Ham’s appeals for a foul by United’s Matthijs de Ligt on Danny Ings. However, VAR intervened, and Coote was advised to review the challenge on the pitchside monitor. After a lengthy pause, Coote awarded a penalty despite Manchester United’s protests, with United’s players arguing that Ings had committed a handball in the lead-up to the incident. West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen then converted the penalty to secure the win.
Speaking to BBC’s Match of the Day, Ten Hag criticized the decision, noting, “Before the season, there was the instruction about VAR only interfering in clear and obvious mistakes. That is definitely not a clear and obvious mistake from the on-field referee.” He added that the ruling had a substantial impact on the team’s morale and results this season.
Throughout the match, Manchester United controlled possession and created multiple scoring opportunities, with Alejandro Garnacho hitting the crossbar and Diogo Dalot missing an open goal. Reflecting on the missed chances, Ten Hag remarked, “We have to look in the mirror; we didn’t score in a game where we created a lot of chances and conceded none until the penalty decision. It’s a bad feeling to lose in this way.”
Ten Hag further revealed he had spoken with the officials post-game, hoping for clarity on the decision. However, he acknowledged the outcome remained unchanged, saying, “That’s football. The decision is made, and there’s no way back.”
The defeat marked a frustrating start to the season for Manchester United, who have won only three of their opening nine Premier League games. Ten Hag highlighted the recurring pattern of what he perceives as officiating injustices impacting United’s position in the league table, stating, “That’s the third time this season I have felt injustice, and it has a big impact on our standings. It’s not right.”
West Ham’s victory moves them up to 13th place in the Premier League, while Manchester United sit one spot below. West Ham’s manager, Julen Lopetegui, took a neutral stance regarding the penalty decision, saying, “I didn’t see it. The players say it’s a penalty, and the referee says it’s a penalty, so I am sure they are right.” He preferred to emphasize his team’s resilience and positive energy following the goal, adding, “After they scored, we kept the energy and momentum to win the match.”
Manchester United’s struggles this season reflect a challenging period for the club as they try to regain their footing in the Premier League.
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