Sat Feb 22 23:46:33 UTC 2025: ## VAR Controversy as Late Penalty Overturned in Manchester United’s Win Over Everton

**Manchester, England –** A controversial stoppage-time penalty decision overshadowed Manchester United’s narrow victory over Everton today. Referee Andy Madley initially awarded a penalty to Everton after Ashley Young went down in the box under pressure from Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt. However, after a VAR review, the decision was overturned.

The incident, occurring three minutes into added time, saw Young fall in the box following contact from both United defenders. While referee Madley initially pointed to the spot, VAR official Matt Donohue instructed him to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.

The Premier League Match Centre later confirmed that VAR checked for a foul by Maguire on Young, concluding that no foul had been committed. This led to the penalty being rescinded and play restarting with an indirect free-kick for United.

However, replays appeared to show De Ligt pulling Young’s shirt just before the fall, a potential foul that seemingly went unaddressed by the VAR review. Everton manager David Moyes expressed his frustration, questioning whether the VAR review solely focused on Maguire’s contact, neglecting the apparent shirt pull by De Ligt. “So did they look at the shirt pull? So they only mentioned the bit they needed to?” Moyes questioned. He added that he believed the initial penalty call was correct and the referee should have stood by his decision.

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim offered a contrasting view, describing the incident as “a soft penalty.”

The incident sparked debate about the effectiveness of VAR and whether a crucial aspect of the play was overlooked in the review. The game ended with a narrow victory for Manchester United, but the late drama will undoubtedly continue to be discussed.

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