Why was Man Utd goal and penalty given at Fulham?

Manchester United were awarded a punishment against Fulham erstwhile Calvin Bassey dragged Mason Mount to nan crushed successful nan 33rd infinitesimal astatine Craven Cottage.

The foul was not fixed connected nan section but referee Chris Kavanagh was sent to nan surface by nan video adjunct referee (VAR) and nan determination was overturned.

Bruno Fernandes blazed nan spot-kick complete nan bar, but nan punishment grant near immoderate watching perplexed, fixed United full-back Luke Shaw appeared to perpetrate a very akin foul conscionable yards distant connected Fulham's Rodrigo Muniz astatine nan aforesaid time.

Ruben Amorim's broadside went connected to return nan lead successful nan 58th infinitesimal from a corner, pinch Leny Yoro's header deflecting disconnected Muniz.

As nan shot came in, though, Yoro appeared to push Bassey successful nan backmost pinch some hands, but this clip VAR did not intervene.

Let nan Ask Me Anything squad explicate why nan punishment was given, but nan foul earlier Manchester United's opener was not.

At first glance, nan punishment determination is simply a elemental 1 pinch Bassey grabbing Mount and throwing him to nan ground.

Given nan Premier League's stated purpose to crackdown connected pulling and holding astatine corners this season, successful portion brought successful to thief debar clip being wasted by referees delaying set-pieces being taken to pass nan players involved, it was nary astonishment it was given.

"Holding happens successful different places wrong nan punishment area - sometimes connected nan ball, sometimes disconnected nan shot and it varies successful position of extremes," Howard Webb, nan main refereeing serviceman said earlier nan commencement of nan season.

"What we've said to nan officials is if you get 1 of those situations wherever 1 subordinate is intelligibly dragging different 1 to nan level successful an utmost non-football action, moreover if it's disconnected nan ball, we expect nan referee to spot it."

Speaking to BBC Match of nan Day afterwards, Bassey said: "Looking backmost possibly a spot excessively overmuch force. One of those ones I person sewage to protect myself and get successful a position to onslaught nan ball.

"You person seen them fixed and you person seen them not.

"When you look astatine everything backmost successful slo-mo, it is ever going to beryllium a foul.

"The ref has to return into information nan quality successful strength. If personification is my size, it doesn't look arsenic bad."

The complication comes from nan truth Shaw besides seemed to beryllium grabbing Muniz, conscionable down nan Bassey and Mount incident.

The United left-back had some arms wrapped astir nan Fulham guardant and some ended up connected nan ground.

But nan punishment was still awarded because Bassey was deemed to person committed a foul first.

But not everyone agrees.

"The 2 fouls are simultaneous," erstwhile England goalkeeper Rob Green told BBC Sport.

"Shaw has 2 arms information his force successful a holding action astatine nan aforesaid clip arsenic Bassey does. So a punishment seems harsh."

Further Fulham vexation followed erstwhile United took nan lead astatine Craven Cottage.

French defender Yoro had some hands connected Bassey's back, but arsenic nan referee did not rustle for a free-kick, it was wished location was not capable unit successful nan action to warrant a foul.

"For me, it is clear and obvious. He has sewage 2 hands successful nan backmost and he (Yoro) has created an advantage for himself," Bassey told Match of nan Day.

"If location is nary contact, I get up location and conflict pinch him. He has intelligibly stopped maine from getting to nan ball.

"For me, it should intelligibly beryllium a foul."

This article is nan latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

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