Man Utd's 'handball' goal vs. Nottingham Forest should have been ruled out, PGMO says

AFC BournemouthArsenalAston VillaBrentfordBrighton & Hove AlbionBurnleyChelseaCrystal PalaceEvertonFulhamLeeds UnitedLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedNottingham ForestSunderlandTottenham HotspurWest Ham UnitedWolverhampton WanderersScores & ScheduleStandingsFantasyThe Athletic FC NewsletterPodcastsArsenal vs. BurnelyPL's Biggest Talking PointsChelsea's Power ShiftWhat Football Thinks of EmeryMan Utd’s ‘handball’ goal vs. Nottingham Forest should have been ruled out, PGMO says Darren Staples / AFP via Getty Images Share articleEnglish football’s chief refereeing officer Howard Webb has contacted Nottingham Forest to confirm it was an error not to rule out Manchester United’s ‘handball’ goal at Old Trafford. Webb, the head of the Professional Game Match Officials (PGMO), has been in touch with the City Ground hierarchy to acknowledge that referee Graham Salisbury should have ruled out Matheus Cunha’s 55th-minute strike in Forest’s 3-2 defeat, according to sources briefed on the matter. Cunha put United 2-1 up, despite a handball by Bryan Mbeumo in the build-up, which saw him control the ball between his arm and his hip. Salisbury gave the goal and also subsequently failed to rule it out after being sent to view the incident again on a pitchside monitor by VAR Matthew Donohue. After watching the incident numerous times, Salisbury still allowed the goal to stand. Webb rang Forest personally today to acknowledge the error and concede that, in this situation, a better decision would have been for Salisbury to overturn his initial decision. Forest head coach Vitor Pereira had admitted his relief that his side did not still need points to avoid the threat of relegation in the aftermath of the game. “I am very proud of my players and that we got the points we needed before today. Because if the game today was decided in this way and we (still) needed points to be safe… this would be a big problem,” said Pereira in his press conference. “I think it is important to have a meeting with everybody and try to understand the rules and decisions. All the managers have doubts about some decisions. “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.” Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms