'Arms close to his body' – Premier League release official VAR audio after Manchester United denied penalty in Fulham draw

The Premier League has opted for full transparency following Manchester United's frustrating 1-1 draw at Fulham, publishing a statement and the accompanying VAR audio via their Match Centre on X. The incident in question occurred in the 86th minute when Lisandro Martinez flicked the ball toward Cottagers defender Bassey, with replays showing clear contact between the ball and the player's hand.

Despite the appeals from the United players, referee Peter Bankes immediately waved play on, a decision that was subsequently supported by his colleagues in the VAR booth. To clarify the process, the Premier League issued a statement confirming the check: 'The referee's call of no penalty to Manchester United for a potential handball offence by Bassey was checked and confirmed by VAR.'

The released transcript provides a detailed look at the conversation between Bankes, assistant referee Dan Cook, and VAR official Nick Hopton. As the ball struck Bassey, Cook was quick to offer his perspective from the touchline, noting the defender's silhouette by observing: 'It's close to his body - it has hit but his arm is close to his body.'

Bankes remained firm in his assessment on the pitch, simply replying: 'On-field decision is play on.' The VAR team then conducted a rapid review of the footage to ensure no clear and obvious error had been made. Hopton added: 'Arms close to his body. As seen - confirming the on-field decision to play on, exactly as described on-field.'

The match had already been a difficult affair for the Red Devils, who fell behind following a calamitous own goal from Martinez that eluded goalkeeper Senne Lammens. While United eventually found an equaliser through a deflected Matheus Cunha strike in the 89th minute, the performance has done little to quieten the critics.

Carrick, however, defended his team's application despite the growing scrutiny from fans and pundits alike. The manager suggested that the flow of the game was not as one-sided as some suggested, stating: 'I didn't think we looked passive. Football is a difficult game. We controlled a lot of the first half and played a lot of good football today. There are going to be spells when you don't have it go your own way.'

The 1-1 draw offers little comfort for Manchester United in the Premier League table. While Carrick's men managed to prevent a third consecutive defeat in a demanding week, they head into the international break mired in 12th place - having taken a mere five points from their opening five fixtures to match their poorest start to a Premier League campaign, previously set in 2014-15. United will now look to reset during the international break before returning to action on October 10, when they play host to Tottenham at Old Trafford.