Vitor Pereira
Nottingham Forest was left frustrated following a controversial decision by referee Michael Salisbury not to disallow Matheus Cunha’s goal for a handball by Bryan Mbeumo in the build-up. The goal proved decisive, giving Manchester United a 2-1 lead just two minutes after Morato had equalized for Forest. The incident has sparked calls for clarity on handball rules, with Forest’s head coach Vitor Pereira urging for a meeting between Premier League managers and the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) to address the issue.
Vitor Pereira said: “It was a pity the game was decided by a decision that I must accept because it is the decision of the referee, but it is not my opinion. For me, it is handball. Very clear. But he decided not to cancel the goal, and for me it was the decision that decided the game.”
Asked if he had spoken to the referee, Vitor Pereira said: “He thinks the control with the hand was after the touch of the body. I must accept but it is not my opinion. If not, he would not have had the chance to shoot and to score. This is the doubt we have in this moment in the Premier League about decisions. The handball, we don’t know when it is handball or not. The blocks in the box, for free-kicks, we do not know when it is a foul or not. I think it is important to have a meeting with everybody and try to understand the rules and decisions. Because I think everybody, all the managers, in this moment have doubts about some decisions.”
Vitor Pereira added: “I’m very proud of my players. We got the points before the last two games, because if the game was decided in this way and we needed the points to be safe, this is a big problem. Big problem. Big problem.”
The Premier League Match Centre account on X explained the decision to award Cunha’s goal, stating: “After VAR review, the referee stuck with the original decision to award a goal to Manchester United. Referee announcement: ‘After review, the decision of goal stands because the handball offence is accidental, therefore the final decision is goal.’”
This incident has reignited the debate over the clarity and consistency of handball rules in the Premier League. Pereira’s call for a meeting with the PGMOL highlights the growing frustration among managers regarding the interpretation of the laws. As the season progresses, the need for clear guidelines and consistent application of rules becomes increasingly critical to avoid similar controversies in the future.
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