Why Man Utd goal was allowed to stand - despite Maguire 'handball'

What the report says

BBC Sport Football reported that Manchester United’s opener against Ipswich Town stood despite Harry Maguire appearing to handle the ball in the build-up. The incident came in a Premier League match at Old Trafford, where Maguire’s arm contact prompted confusion over whether the goal should be ruled out.

According to the report, the key reason the goal was upheld was that Maguire did not end up as the scorer. His effort was going wide and was diverted into the net by Ipswich defender Jacob Greaves, making it an own goal. BBC Sport said that under the handball law, accidental handball by the scorer is not punished in certain situations, including when the goal is not immediate or when a defender’s touch creates an own goal.

Video assistant referee Jarred Gillett advised referee Craig Pawson that the goal should count because it was an own goal and the handball was accidental. BBC Sport noted that the goal could have been disallowed only if VAR had judged Maguire’s contact to be deliberate. Manchester United went on to win 5-2, helped by a Bruno Fernandes hat-trick. The report also pointed to a similar case in a 2023 match between Brentford and Liverpool as broader context for how the law can be interpreted.