Carrick Laments “Baffling” Penalty Decisions in Manchester United’s Draw with Bournemouth

Bournemouth, England – Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick expressed his frustration with the officiating following a dramatic 2-2 Premier League draw against Bournemouth on March 21, 2026. Carrick labeled the penalty decisions made by referee Stuart Attwell as “baffling” and “astonishing.”

Penalty Controversies Mark Fixture

Manchester United initially took the lead in the 61st minute through a penalty converted by Bruno Fernandes, awarded after Bournemouth defender Álex Jiménez fouled Matheus Cunha in the penalty area. However, a subsequent penalty claim involving Amad Diallo was dismissed by VAR, who determined the contact was “not sufficient for a foul.”

Carrick argued that the incidents involving Cunha and Diallo were remarkably similar. “He’s definitely got one of them wrong because he’s given one penalty for us for the same thing that he’s not given one,” Carrick stated in a post-match press conference. “There’s a two-arm grab. The Matheus one he gives, the second one on Amad he doesn’t, which I think is almost identical, really. If you have two hands on someone in the box and they go over and they’re in control of the ball, for me it’s two penalties.”

Immediately after the denied penalty, Bournemouth equalized through Ryan Christie. Manchester United regained the lead in the 71st minute when James Hill scored an own goal from a Fernandes corner. However, the match took another turn when Harry Maguire was shown a red card for a push on Evanilson, leading to a penalty for Bournemouth, which they converted.

Differing Perspectives on Key Incidents

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola disagreed with Carrick’s assessment, stating that the collision involving Diallo was “never a penalty.”

Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United’s captain, also voiced his concerns, highlighting a perceived disparity in how referees treat players. “Not getting a penalty and then we get a penalty against where it’s the same situation as Amad — one is one, one is not,” Fernandes told Sky Sports. “I know it’s tricky for the referee to provide two penalties to the same team in one game, but I don’t understand why VAR doesn’t get involved in that situation or with Harry [Maguire] because either one is a penalty and so is the other, or none of them are.”

Fernandes added, “Amad is getting to a point where he’s going to shoot, and he gets pushed — you can see that something puts him completely out of balance. It’s frustrating for the small players because they always say the small players are soft, and when it’s the bigger players, they end up giving the fouls.”

Champions League Qualification Remains the Goal

Despite the controversial draw, Manchester United remain in third place in the Premier League standings. The team will be hoping for favorable results from their competitors – Liverpool, Aston Villa, and Chelsea – as they strive to secure a top-five finish and qualify for next season’s Champions League.