Man Utd and Nottingham Forest told reason referee got Matheus Cunha goal decision wrong

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Matheus Cunha's goal against Nottingham Forest ought to have been disallowed, according to former referee Dermot Gallagher. The ex-Premier League official believes a handball should have been awarded after Bryan Mbeumo made contact with the ball using his hand in the build-up.

Forest fell to a 3-2 defeat having twice pulled level at Old Trafford, and the loss will hurt even more given the st orm surrounding Manchester United's second goal. Michael Salisbury was urged by VAR to review the incident after initially recommending the goal be chalked off, but the official stood firm with his original call, deciding Mbeumo's action was accidental.

Now, Gallagher has insisted that Salisbury should have heeded the guidance from his VAR. The former official believes Salisbury was deceived by the ball also making contact with another part of Mbeumo's body, yet there should have been no question that he brought it under control with his hand.

"I think it should be disallowed. It should be handball," Gallagher said on Ref Watch. "I think Michael gets seduced by this directive that if it comes off your body and strikes your arm, it's accidental, carry on. I think if your arm is out there.

"I get it, hits his hip, strikes his arm. It does strike his thigh, no doubt about that. He almost cushions the ball. It creates that opportunity.

"If you listen to VAR, it's clear, I think it's a handball offence. I think he's controlled it with his hand; he sends him to the screen, he does everything he can do, then it's Michael Salisbury's choice.

"VAR Matt Donohue has done everything to say, 'look here's your opportunity to have a look' but he had a look and said no."

Gallagher went on: "This comes down to, do you think this is accidental? Is there enough evidence to say that the player gained a massive advantage by what he did? I actually think his arm comes in, and that's what cushions the ball.

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"I think it gets trapped. If you look, there's a period where the ball is stationary in his body."

Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville , who was on commentary duty for the match, pulled no punches in branding the decision a 'shocker', left utterly incredulous by what had unfolded.

"That is a shocker in every way," Neville said. "Honestly, that is ridiculous. The VAR has been clear: the player has handballed it. He looked at it for three minutes and the referee has looked at it for another minute. I can't believe what I have just seen.

"There will be nobody watching that game who plays football or who watches football who will think that goal should have been awarded. It feels obvious to disallow. He (Mbeumo) almost wedged the ball under his arm."

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