A refereeing controversy erupted during the closing moments of the Premier League clash at Craven Cottage between Fulham and Manchester United. In the 86th minute, with the score at 1-0 in favour of the Londoners, the visitors were adamant for a penalty following a handball claim, but the referee's whistle remained silent.
The incident occurred after a corner kick, where Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno made a poor decision to play the ball. The ball ricocheted off the post to Lisandro Martinez. The Manchester United defender attempted to play the ball back into the box, but Calvin Bassey intervened with his arm outstretched, deflecting the ball away. Martinez and his teammates immediately surrounded the referee, demanding he point to the spot.
The referee refused to award the penalty and referred the incident for VAR review. The VAR team upheld the on-field decision, concluding that Bassey's arms were in a natural position and that he hadn't made a deliberate movement to increase his body size at the moment of contact with the ball.
