Man Utd 1-0 West Brom: VAR rescues the Red Devils

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Bruno Fernandes was involved in the penalty shootout drama at both ends against West Brom as the midfielder secured the first league win of the season at the home of Manchester United.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men avoided becoming the third team in club history to start a campaign with five league games at home without a win on Saturday night.

West Brom, without a victory since promotion to the Premier League, made life difficult for United, who achieved a 1-0 victory thanks to a Fernandes penalty after the assistant referee’s intervention on video during a frenzied start to the match. second half.

Man of the match Sam Johnstone made good saves to frustrate Anthony Martial and his former club in a goalless opening period at Old Trafford, where Slaven Bilic’s men looked ready to open the scoring immediately after half time.

Referee David Coote signaled the point after awarding Fernandes to have knocked down Conor Gallagher in the area, but reversed his decision after reviewing the incident with the VAR council.

Peter Bankes came to the Portuguese’s aid again shortly after, having seen Johnstone drift off his line as he saved his penalty after a hand from Darnell Furlong.

Fernandes shot home the recovered penalty to ensure that United’s wait for a Premier League victory at Old Trafford did not extend until December.

After a cyberattack dominated build-up at the host club, Solskjaer’s team was denied a dream start as Johnstone reacted magnificently to prevent Martial from taking a look at Juan Mata’s free kick in 100 seconds.

United kept the Baggies locked in as they sought an early first start, but a mix of tenacious defense and poor finishing passes prevented another clear opportunity until the 16th minute.

Harry Maguire sliced ​​an undercooked pass into his own half and lunged forward, finally playing Marcus Rashford on the left.

The forward’s bubbling ball through the area was greeted by a first touch from Fernandes on the way from Martial, whose low shot was well saved by Johnstone.

The French international should have done better and saw penalty appeals rejected shortly after Matheus Pereira sent a beautiful ball for Karlan Grant to get away from a shot that was deflected wide.

It was a rare forward trip on the part of the Baggies, who saw Kyle Bartley direct an unorthodox header just above David De Gea’s arc as the opening period came to a close.

Bilic’s team came back from the break strong and referee Coote quickly pointed the spot after seeing Gallagher fall under a challenge from Fernandes.

The irate Portuguese midfielder claimed that he received the ball and eventually saw the decision overturned after the referee saw a replay of the incident on VAR advice.

After Rashford saw a superbly saved long-distance effort and Conor Townsend was thwarted by De Gea’s feet, Fernandes would again be involved in another penalty decision.

Coote pointed the spot after Darnell Furlong handled a Juan Mata cross and the normally dependable United midfielder came forward, only for Johnstone to save low to his left.

But the Baggies’ celebrations were cut short because the goalkeeper had strayed far enough off his line, and the VAR ordered a restart that Fernandes whipped into the upper left corner.

It was a punch to the stomach that West Brom tried to counterattack, with substitute Callum Robinson making a huge effort on the crossbar from the edge of the area in the 65th minute.

But while the visitors made life uncomfortable for Solskjaer’s team, Johnstone had to do his best between the sticks.

The former United academy player displayed excellent composure and reflexes to deflect a delayed effort from Rashford, with the goalkeeper denying Maguire as they again tried their luck.

Furlong’s latest challenge prevented Martial from adding another in injury time as United’s wait for a home win came to an end.



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