Manchester United defender Luke Shaw looks to be backtracking on his post-match comments to Sky Sports after the Red Devils were robbed of a penalty in their draw with Chelsea.
Callum Hudson-Odoi quite clearly handled the ball inside his own penalty area during the first-half of the contest, which prompted VAR to send the referee to the monitor, where he stuck with his original decision not to give a penalty.
MORE: Video: Chelsea escape penalty after VAR checks for Callum Hudson-Odoi handball against Manchester United
It was a puzzling decision, with Hudson-Odoi’s right hand quite clearly making contact with the ball whilst being in an unnatural position. What other boxes need to be ticked before a penalty is awarded?
Man United left-back Luke Shaw was equally puzzled at the decision not to point to the spot, as he revealed in his post-match interview with Sky Sports, during which he insinuated that the referee didn’t give it merely to avoid controversy.
? “I don’t understand why he stopped the game if it wasn’t going to be a pen.”
Luke Shaw reflects on Man Utd’s draw with Chelsea and the penalty incident in the first half. pic.twitter.com/aiRQwjkjyd
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 28, 2021
Luke Shaw: on the penalty decision. “The ref even said to H [Harry Maguire] I heard him say: ‘If I say it’s a penalty it’s going to cause a lot of talk about it after.’ So, I don’t know what happened there.” #MUFC pic.twitter.com/jEahaGBB1P
— United Zone (@ManUnitedZone_) February 28, 2021
That’s a serious claim. If the referee were to acknowledge that it was a penalty and not give it through fear of what people would say post-match, that would bring the whole game into disrepute.
Predictably, though, Shaw has backtracked, likely after advice from Man United to do so, in hope of avoiding an FA ban for insinuating bias or incompetency by the match official…
It’s believed Luke Shaw misheard what Maguire said about the referee re the penalty decision #mufc #cfc
— James Robson (@jamesrobsonES) February 28, 2021
IT IS PENALTY BUT REF. REFUSE TO AWARD IT, THE REF DESERVE SUSPENSION
Good one.
Backtrack as it will do them harm more than any good and have the referee and PGMOL owe them one. Laughable