Erik ten Hag defeats Mauricio Pochettino as Manchester United run out 2-1 winners against Chelsea.
Two goals from Scott McTominay ensured Manchester United the victory, in what was a hard-fought encounter in the freezing Manchester weather at Old Trafford
Erik ten Hag and his coaching staff will be thoroughly impressed with his side. Even a Bruno Fernandes missed penalty couldn’t dampen their spirits as they went on to dominate proceedings.
But should the penalty have stood in the first place?
Dermot Gallager gives verdict on Antony Man Utd penalty
Former referee Dermot Gallagher was quizzed about the incident on Sky Sports News Ref Watch on Thursday morning, and he thought that in the modern game – it simply had to be given.
He said: “Interesting though that’s what Chris [Kavanagh] said 25 years ago when I was playing football I wouldn’t have even considered I’d get a foul for this.
“But this is what I call a modern-day penalty. You see a player make a tackle like this. If it’s picked up, you know it’s going to be a foul.
“You know in this day and age that that’s a penalty and I think that’s what Chris alludes to a bit, that 25 years ago I wouldn’t have dreamt of it [giving it].”
A ‘modern-day’ penalty for Man Utd
Gallagher was then asked what makes it a ‘modern-day’ penalty.
“I just think now we’ve got to the stage where if somebody places their studs on somebody’s foot like that and it’s picked up – the foul is always given,” he replied. “Whereas when I played, you just never thought about it.”
The game has changed dramatically and with the introduction of VAR, these calls are more and more frequent each week.
This was a good thing for United against Chelsea, but we’ll no doubt be on the receiving end of one of these calls in the Premier League at some point again this season.
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