Man Utd goal should not have stood after Bryan Mbeumo handball as PGMOL chief Howard Webb apologises to Nottingham Forest

In a direct move to address the fallout from Sunday's match, Webb contacted Nottingham Forest officials on Monday to acknowledge that a mistake was made, The Telegraph reports.

The PGMOL chief accepted that referee Michael Salisbury and the officiating team were incorrect to allow the goal to stand, despite an obvious infringement by Mbeumo before the ball reached Cunha.

The controversy stems from a moment where Mbeumo appeared to use his right arm to control the ball, providing a crucial advantage that led to the finish. Despite a review by VAR official Peter Bankes, the goal was remarkably allowed to stand, sparking outrage from the Forest bench and pundits alike.

Nottingham Forest head coach Vitor Pereira was incandescent following the 3-2 defeat and spent his post-match media duties demanding a high-level summit to discuss the application of the laws of the game.

"For me, it was handball, very clear. It is sad not to cancel the goal. For me, it was the decision that decided the game," Pereira stated. "These are the doubts we have at the moment in the Premier League about the end decision. With the handball, we don’t know when it is a handball or not."

The officiating at Old Trafford drew heavy fire from high-profile commentators who were stunned that the VAR intervention did not result in the goal being overturned. Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville was particularly vocal on Sky Sports, describing the decision as "a shocker" and claiming that he would be "furious if that goal was allowed."

Alan Shearer echoed those sentiments, labelling the incident as "disgraceful," as the consensus grew that Forest had been unfairly penalised.

While the Premier League Match Centre initially claimed the handball was "accidental," Webb's subsequent apology confirms that the technical interpretation used on the day didn't meet the standards required for such a pivotal top-flight decision.

The points lost at Old Trafford could have significant financial repercussions for Forest. Premier League merit payments are distributed based on final league positions, and the difference between finishing even one or two places higher can be worth millions of pounds to a club’s bottom line.

The club has been on the receiving end of several questionable calls since returning to the elite level in 2022, and this latest apology will do little to soothe the frustration of missing out on a positive result against United. Pereira’s side will now look to channel that anger into their final match of the campaign when they host Bournemouth on Sunday afternoon.