Manchester United decided to lodge a formal complaint with the Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) following their 2-2 Premier League draw against Bournemouth on Friday night. Club officials expressed frustration over multiple refereeing calls that they believed showed inconsistency during the match at the Vitality Stadium.
The key incident occurred in the second half when winger Amad Diallo went down in the penalty area after contact from Bournemouth defender Adrien Truffert. Manchester United players and staff claimed the challenge warranted a penalty, especially as the team led 1-0 at the time following Bruno Fernandes’ successful spot-kick.
Referee Stuart Attwell waved away appeals, and VAR official Craig Pawson confirmed the on-field decision. The Premier League match centre later stated that the contact “was not sufficient for a foul.”
Moments after the non-award, Bournemouth equalized through Ryan Christie on a counter-attack. Manchester United regained the lead via a James Hill own goal, but the match turned again when defender Harry Maguire received a straight red card and conceded a penalty for a push on Evanilson. Eli Junior Kroupi converted the spot-kick to secure the draw for Bournemouth.
Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick described the penalty decisions as “baffling” and “astonishing” in his post-match comments. He highlighted the perceived similarity between the challenges on Matheus Cunha (which earned United a penalty) and Amad Diallo. Captain Bruno Fernandes also questioned the calls, suggesting inconsistencies affected smaller players.
Director of football Jason Wilcox planned to contact PGMOL chief Howard Webb directly to seek explanations. Sources close to the club indicated officials were unhappy with how similar incidents received different treatment in the same game. Manchester United had raised concerns with PGMOL earlier in the season over other decisions.
The complaint focused on the lack of a second penalty for Amad Diallo and broader officiating inconsistencies. The outcome left Manchester United frustrated in their push for Champions League qualification.
