Erik ten Hag cried injustice after a controversial video assistant referee decision led to a 2-1 defeat for Manchester United against West Ham at the London Stadium.
United were left seething when Michael Oliver, one of the game’s senior and most respected officials, instructed David Coote, the on-pitch referee, to review a collision in the area between Matthijs de Ligt and the West Ham striker Danny Ings.
There was not much of an appeal for a penalty from the home crowd and Coote had waved play on, deeming there to be insufficient contact to award a penalty. He changed his mind after watching the incident again and a subsequent conversion from 12 yards by Jarrod Bowen in added time won West Ham the points, leaving United in 14th and Ten Hag complaining about the latest decision to go against his team.
“Three times this season we feel injustice,” Ten Hag said. “We have to score, we created so many chances. We should’ve been two or three up. We allowed them into the game. When you are losing 1-0 you need big personality and the team showed resilience to get back into it. It is unfair and unjust, the way we conceded the penalty.”
United have already seen Bruno Fernandes have a red card against Tottenham rescinded this season, and last week were aggrieved to concede in the win against Brentford when De Ligt was not allowed to come back on the pitch after treatment for an injury. It made their latest setback even harder to take, leaving Ten Hag to question the process that led to West Ham’s winner.
“In football the best team does not always win, that was clear and obvious, but the way VAR worked was not clear and obvious,” the United manager said. “What they didn’t do against Spurs, when they should have interfered on Bruno’s red card, and now they make the wrong decision interfering, both have a big impact on the games. I don’t criticise any person, I criticise the process.”
Ten Hag, whose position will come under scrutiny again, admitted that United were guilty of failing to kill West Ham off during the first half. “We always look in the mirror but I can only criticise the players for not scoring. The decision-making by the referee had a big impact on this game.”
Julen Lopetegui insisted that West Ham deserved to win and he did not question the refereeing. “I asked Danny Ings and he said it was a penalty,” West Ham’s manager said. “The VAR called the referee and the referee said yes. I am sure they had a strong reason to say yes.”
