Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has now had his say on a major incident involving Bryan Mbeumo in Manchester United’s defeat to Brentford.
Bryan Mbeumo returned to the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon for the first time since his blockbuster move away from Brentford in the summer.
The 26-year-old ex-Brentford ace, who was signed by Manchester United for an initial £65m in July, came close to scoring against his former side on the weekend.
Bruno Fernandes fired a low cross into the Brentford box from the right-hand side and United summer signing Mbeumo charged forward to latch on to the ball.
Mbeumo’s last-ditch shot went wide of the Brentford net, but the French-born winger was impeded by the Bees’ Nathan Collins in the build-up to the play.
Craig Pawson pointed to the spot and awarded United a penalty against Brentford in the second half before the referee brandished a yellow card to Nathan Collins.
Dermot Gallagher’s position is clear on the call from VAR and Craig Pawson over the red card discourse amid Brentford vs Man Utd
VAR intervened in the penalty incident on Saturday and checked Craig Pawson’s yellow card to see whether or not Nathan Collins should have been sent off instead.
The wait from VAR finally came to an end after the decision came in that Pawson’s original call stood and the 24-year-old Brentford defender remained on the pitch.
Manchester United fans were left furious that Collins had not been dismissed after the Irishman obstructed Bryan Mbeumo in what was a clear-cut goalscoring chance.
Dermot Gallagher believes that Collins should have received a red card and the former referee has a “theory” for why VAR did not overturn Pawson’s decision.
“The VAR would have looked at and decided Mbeumo wasn’t in control of the ball,” he said on Sky Sports’ Ref Watch.
“Nathan panics. He pulls his shirt and if he doesn’t do that, Mbeumo, who got a touch to the ball, would have got it.
“He’s got a clear goalscoring opportunity eight yards out. They looked at it, looked at it and looked at it. I have a theory that your gut takes over.
“You look at a replay and you make up your mind. The more you look at it, the more you doubt yourself.”
Sky Sports pundit Jay Bothroyd also reacted to the Brentford vs Man Utd moment involving Nathan Collins and Bryan Mbeumo
Bruno Fernandes was forced to wait to take his penalty before Brentford shot-stopper Caoimhin Kelleher dived low to his left to save the United captain’s effort.
United were trailing Brentford 2-1 in the 76th minute at the time of the penalty and after the shocking decision was made not to send Collins off in the match.
Joining former Premier League referee Gallagher in the studio was Sky Sports pundit Jay Bothroyd, who was deeply critical of VAR for not making the ‘right’ call.
“It’s a baffling decision,” Jay Bothroyd said.
“Mbeumo is not in control of the ball because he’s not going to control it.
“There’s pace on the cross and he is just going to redirect the ball towards the corner.”
United’s 3-1 defeat to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on the weekend was the Red Devils’ third Premier League loss of the season under Ruben Amorim.
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