Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett has given his verdict on the controversial Amad penalty incident in Manchester United’s 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest
Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett has declared that Manchester United were lucky to escape without conceding a late penalty during Saturday’s 2-2 stalemate with Nottingham Forest. Ruben Amorim’s side maintained their unbeaten streak after fighting back from a deficit to secure a point at the City Ground.
Following Casemiro’s opener in the first half, Forest took the lead through Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicolo Savona before Amad’s 81st-minute effort restored parity. With the scoreline at 2-1 and United desperately seeking an equaliser, Forest supporters were left incensed when referee Darren England chose not to award them a spot-kick.
Ryan Yates’ header from a corner inadvertently struck Amad’s arm after he misjudged his leap whilst attempting to clear. Despite furious appeals from fans and players alike, England refused to point to the spot and United subsequently found their leveller.
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The Premier League Match Centre account on X failed to clarify why the video assistant referee (VAR) chose not to intervene. Nevertheless, Hackett has maintained the decision was incorrect, describing the incident as a “clear handball offence” in a post on X.
It marked the second contentious ruling that went against Forest after Sean Dyche was left livid with how United’s opening goal materialised. The Forest manager was incensed that a corner was awarded in the build-up to Casemiro’s strike. Savona appeared to have maintained possession but the linesman on the far side signalled for a corner.
“I just can’t understand it, you’re an assistant referee and 70-odd yards away, you’ve got a goal and a net in the way, but apparently you can see,” Dyche said. “I’ve got a better view and I’m not in the right position.
“That’s got to be wrong in the current climate. I’m a big fan of VAR. Someone has got to be able to overrule these decisions, just really quickly, [it would take] only five seconds.
“For me, that’s five seconds of VAR: ‘Bang, that’s it, done, wrong decision.’ It is really, really frustrating two weeks on the trot. With all the technology and all that’s at stake, particularly for us at Nottingham Forest after the start the club has had, that’s a big moment.
“We all want it right, every fan wants it right. The worst thing, I’m back in the game for three games and for two weeks on the trot I’m talking about refereeing decisions. I want to be talking about my team.”
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Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
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