Manchester United finished third in the Premier League last season, behind Manchester City and Arsenal, leading many to believe they could mount a title challenge this season. Erik Ten Hag’s side is stronger than last season with the signing of Rasmus Hojlund, Andre Onana, and Mason Mount, who will all play a part in United’s season.
The team’s pre-season form was nothing close to promising, as they lost three in a row to Wrexham, Real Madrid, and Borrusia Dortmund. However, the team responded with a 1-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers in their opening Premier League game of the season, albeit unconvincingly.
Why did VAR officials from Man Utd vs Wolves get suspended?
The Premier League returned last Friday, with City beating Burnley 3-1 at Turf Moor. The VAR also returned to action, with the new technology taking the stage in the first round of games this season. VAR always comes with a lot of controversies, and the officials in charge of the United vs. Wolves game have now been suspended following the incident of an unfair penalty decision that should have gone the Wolves’ way.
With Wolves trailing 1-0 to United and trying to get a late equalizer, a Wolves player put a dangerous ball into the box, with Andre Onana coming out to claim the ball. However, the Cameroonian missed and instead hit a Wolves player in his face, leading to penalty protests from the Wolves player. The referee initially waved the protests off, and play continued until VAR intervened and ordered a replay of the incident.
📌 "He said it should have been given."
Gary O'Neil revealed he received an apology from the PGMOL's Jon Moss after Wolves were denied a "blatant penalty" in their 1-0 defeat at Manchester United. 🚨 pic.twitter.com/rAnCMR8DG1
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 15, 2023
VAR decision? No penalty! This led to widespread criticism of the technology and its use. According to Sky Sports, Gary O’Neil received an apology from the head of referees in the league about the penalty incident. According to Jon Moss, the penalty should have been given to Wolves, which would have earned O’Neil’s team a point from the contest.
Who are the VAR officials who got suspended?
All the referees involved in the game have not been picked for the next matchday after denying Wolves a clear penalty call. The head of the PGMOL, Jon Moss, reached out to Gary O’Neil to apologize for the incident. Simon Hooper (referee), Michael Salisbury (video assistant referee), and Richard West (assistant VAR) have now been suspended for the next matchday and will be overlooked.
The VAR controversy continues to dominate the headlines as another penalty call involving Marcus Rashford and Nelson Semedo caused quite a stir on social media after the match, with many calling for the technology to be scrapped.
Should VAR continue to be used in the Premier League? Let us know your opinion on this in the comments.
