The Premier League’s Key Match Incidents Panel has backed the decision to allow Manchester United’s second goal against the Blues at Old Trafford at the end of last month.
Harry Maguire’s off-target shot deflected off Town defender Jacob Greaves and into the corner of the net to make the scoreline 2-1.
Replays showed that the ball had struck the England defender’s arm in the build-up but VAR deemed that irrelevant as it was viewed as accidental and as it was an own goal rather than credited to Maguire.
During the review VAR official Jarred Gillett outlined how he saw the issue to on-pitch referee Craig Pawson: "It’s an own goal and the accidental handball is not punishable, so we recommend you award the goal.”
The KMI panel has five members with four backing the decision and one disagreeing, the latter seeing the handball as deliberate.
The panel said: "Maguire’s arms are within his bodyline, meaning that the contact with his right arm was accidental and not a punishable handball offence given that Maguire was not the goal scorer.
"The shot was clearly off-target and then deflected in via the defender for a clear own goal. The panel supported the referee’s call to award the goal, 4:1, with one panellist considering the handball to be deliberate.”
The decision was widely criticised by ex-players and referees, among them Mark Clattenburg, who felt the law relating to handball needed changing.
🚨 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗜𝗡𝗘𝗗: Because Harry Maguire's shot cannons in off Jacob Greaves, the goal stands as an own goal.
If Harry Maguire's shot goes straight in, the goal would've been disallowed. pic.twitter.com/TzDuQWhpZk https://t.co/AilsGJonAy— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Footballtweet) August 30, 2026
The KMI panel also backed the decision not to red card Greaves for the foul which led to the penalty from which United scored their third goal.
"The on-field call of penalty was unanimously supported,” the panel said. "A clear foul by Greaves on [Matheus] Cunha as he ran through on goal, with a correct yellow card DOGSO as it was a genuine challenge for the ball.”