Manchester United supporters voiced their frustration, feeling shortchanged by referee Anthony Taylor after Liverpool managed to level the score late in the game at Old Trafford.
With only six minutes left, Mohamed Salah converted a penalty to draw the match, following Harvey Elliott’s fall in the penalty area.
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Elliott hit the ground when Aaron Wan-Bissaka challenged him, prompting Taylor to immediately award the penalty.
Yet, from a certain perspective, it seemed that Wan-Bissaka’s extended foot didn’t touch Elliott.
The contact was actually made by his following leg, leading some to speculate that Elliott intentionally entangled his leg with Wan-Bissaka’s to induce a fall.
This incident became a hot topic on social media post-match, with numerous United fans feeling they were unjustly denied a full victory.
No VAR check on this BTW. Wan Bissaka didn’t even touch Harvey Elliot. pic.twitter.com/TCB8EbZeFF
— Jason Nomoa (@1992sFinest) April 7, 2024
“Another day, another robbery,” wrote @Annychizzy on X, formerly Twitter. @UnitedZone2 was also clearly furious with the decision to award Liverpool a penalty, adding: “WE HAVE BEEN ROBBED!!!”
@UTDRoyo said: “If that’s a penalty, I’m deleting my account,” while @RICH_UTD echoed a similar sentiment as he wrote: “We get robbed every single week by VAR. How is this a penalty and not a dive?”
@privilege_mufc, meanwhile, added: “AWB didn’t even touch him. Elliott fell down because he anticipated he was going to get tackled and in the process conning the referee.”
Opinions were divided on Liverpool’s penalty award, but Sky Sports analyst Jamie Redknapp firmly believed that Elliott did indeed receive a clip from Wan-Bissaka.
“That’s a penalty,” said Redknapp as he ran the rule over the incident. “Harvey Elliott came on and made a real difference. Jarell Quansah gets his side back up the pitch and it is a good piece of play.
“Aaron Wan-Bissaka is one of the best at slide tackling. He’s got those go go gadget legs he just sticks out, but this one he gets it wrong.
“Harvey Elliott is bright, he realises this, dangles his leg out and gets the penalty. Okay, he misses the ball, but watch Harvey Elliott plant his right leg. He hooks him, and that is why I think it was a penalty.”
