VAR confirms no penalty for Manchester United in 1-1 draw with Fulham

Manchester United drew 1-1 with Fulham at Craven Cottage on 20 September after Matheus Cunha's deflected strike in the 89th minute cancelled out an early own goal by Lisandro Martínez. The result prevented United from suffering a third consecutive defeat in seven days, following losses to Manchester City in the league and Brighton in the Carabao Cup.

A controversial handball incident dominated discussion after the match. In the 86th minute, with United trailing, the ball contacted Fulham defender Calvin Bassey's hand following a pass from Martínez. Referee Peter Bankes allowed play to continue, a decision supported by VAR officials. The Premier League released VAR audio and an official statement confirming the no-penalty decision. Assistant referee Dan Cook noted: "It's close to his body — the ball hits his hand but his arm is close to his body." VAR official Nick Hopton added: "Arm close to his body. As shown — confirming the on-field decision to play on, exactly as described on the pitch."

United manager Michael Carrick defended his team's performance despite the difficult circumstances. When asked about Cunha's post-match comment that Fulham had "put in more energy" early in the second half, Carrick disagreed, stating: "I was quite happy with the way we finished the game. I thought we finished the game really strongly actually and we kept pushing." He also dismissed concerns about fitness levels despite data showing Fulham's players covered an extra 6 kilometres.

The draw leaves Manchester United in 12th place with 5 points from 5 matches—their worst start to a Premier League season since 2014–15. Fulham remain without a league win under manager Alvaro Arbeloa. United's next match is against Tottenham at Old Trafford on 10 October, following the international break.