Harry Maguire has admitted VAR may now be necessary in modern football after being left on the wrong end of a controversial penalty in Manchester United’s win over Arsenal on Sunday.
Referee Andy Madley pointed to the spot midway through the second half after Kai Havertz went to the ground, only for a replay of the incident to suggest the Arsenal striker had gone down very easily.
VAR will not be active in the FA Cup until the fifth round, meaning there will be no incident review. Maguire was clearly furious and let his frustrations boil over, which caused a frantic brawl involving both sets of players.
Cameras caught a furious Maguire shouting “You cheating scum, you cheating bitch” as he stormed towards Havertz.
Without VAR, the penalty stood, but Martin Odegaard’s effort was eventually saved by Altay Bayindir, leaving Maguire feeling like justice had been served.
“The moment he gave it, my initial instinct was that everything will be fine, VAR will change it and then I clicked in my head that VAR cannot intervene,” United said the defender after the game. “Then it went to my head a little.
“[The referee] he probably looks back…knows he made a mistake. That’s why we have VAR, because in big moments we need them correct, and it’s a difficult performance if we don’t have help for them.”
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