Replays showed Angulo thrust his arm into Fernandes’ face, with the Portuguese midfielder requiring treatment after the contact. However, Atwell allowed it to happen and VAR Peter Banks decided not to get involved. This is the latest controversial episode involving Atwell and United, after Old Trafford officials lodged a formal complaint over Atwell’s failure to award a penalty for what appeared to be a foul on Amad in the game against Bournemouth in March.
Speaking after the draw against Sunderland, Michael Carrick said he had not watched the replay of the incident, but said Fernandes and the coaching staff were unhappy they were not punished.
“Bruno said there was contact, but he wasn’t very happy about it when he arrived,” he said. “The guys on the bench weren’t too happy either.
“I don’t know, but I’m starting to get a little confused about what’s actually going on, so I might as well not get involved.”
Analyzing the incident, Dean said: “It wasn’t a lot of force, but I don’t understand why a player would run back and put his arm in there and put himself in danger.”
“I don’t know what’s going on. They were obviously looking into it. They didn’t do anything. They just talked to Fernandes and the checks were done. With VAR, there’s risk. It could have gone either way.”
“Mike, they didn’t even nominate him,” said Paul Merson, an expert on the committee.
Dean had a surprising answer to this. “Well, it’s May, right?”
Lead presenter Simon Thomas asked: “What? It may be May for you, but referees still have a job to do, right?”
Dean went on to elaborate: “It’s just frustrating when you don’t make good decisions in games. Fulham were a typical example of that today. They just didn’t perform well on the pitch.”
“They’re just not making decisions on the pitch. Whether May is joking or not, it’s an easy decision. There was a penalty shout five minutes before the Man United game, but it could have gone either way and it will be a challenge in another game. They just aren’t making decisions. I don’t know why.”
