At a Glance
- Manchester United held to 2-2 draw vs Bournemouth
- Fernandes questioned two refereeing decisions
- Carrick also frustrated with two huge calls
Bruno Fernandes was bemused by the refereeing decisions made in a 2-2 draw between Manchester United and Bournemouth.
The Red Devils were held by the Cherries at the Vitality Stadium, but in controversial fashion, following Harry Maguire’s sending off. They took the lead through Bruno Fernandes’ penalty after Matheus Cunha was brought down.
Amad was dragged to the floor by Adrien Truffert, but no penalty was given. Bournemouth broke and equalised through Ryan Christie’s low-driven effort, which found the bottom corner of Senne Lammens’ goal.
An own goal from James Hill after a superb Fernandes corner saw the visitors retake the lead. Carrick’s Reds were then reduced to 10 men when Maguire pulled Evanilson, preventing a goalscoring opportunity.
Junior Kroupi stepped up and sent Lammens the wrong way, but United held on and earned a point. The main talking point following the game was the similarities between the challenges on Amad and Evanilson.
Fernandes on penalty decisions
United managed to at least leave the Vitality with a point despite finishing the final stages with 10 men. The Reds were the better side for most of the game, but Stuart Attwell’s questionable refereeing meant Carrick and his troops were happy to at least take a draw.
Fernandes voiced these frustrations when speaking to Sky Sports after the game:
“More disappointed because I think we did enough to get the three points. We had to end the game with a lot of suffering. The frustration also came a little bit into ourselves because obviously we have a situation where we could have gone 3-1 up and from that situation we end up conceding another goal.”
Fernandes touched on the controversial refereeing:
“Not getting a penalty, and then we get a penalty against, which is more or less the same as Amad. One is rewarded as a penalty, the other is not.”
He added:
“I know it’s difficult for the referee to give two penalties in the same game to the same team but what I don’t understand is why VAR doesn’t get involved in that situation on either way. Either one is a penalty and the other one too or none of them are a penalty.”
United’s point means they are third, now four points clear of fourth-placed Aston Villa. They are also six points ahead of fifth-placed Liverpool and seven clear of sixth-placed Chelsea.
Carrick: We deserved two penalties
There wasn’t much argument from Carrick over the decision to give Bournemouth a penalty and send Maguire off. He was more perplexed by the awarding of a spot-kick for the foul on Cunha, and then not doing so for the Amad challenge.
Carrick told Sky Sports:
“We found a goal, should have had another penalty. If you get one, you must get the other because it’s pretty much identical, two-hand grab, either way he’s got one wrong. To give one and not give the other, I just can’t get my head around that, it’s crazy.”
Carrick also questioned where nine minutes of added time came from and praised his players for earning a point under the circumstances. It means he has tasted just one defeat over two spells as interim coach.
It also means that his side will head into the international break fully on course for Champions League qualification. They won’t be in action for another 24 days before colliding with Leeds United at Old Trafford.
