Exclusive: Man United face FA punishment after incident v Brighton.

The FA could sanction Manchester United after their players surrounded the referee prior to Joao Pedro’s disallowed goal at Old Trafford.

The former PGMOL chief and ex-FIFA official revealed that Peter Bankes will submit the incident to the FA, which will then determine whether to discipline United after a review. Pedro’s goal was eventually disallowed following a VAR review, although it had little effect on the final score, as Brighton won 3-1. Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma scored each side of a Bruno Fernandes penalty, before Andre Onana made a mistake that led to Georginio Rutter’s game-winning goal. Hackett stated that disallowing the goal was the correct judgement following a “careless challenge” in the buildup, but this does not excuse the United players’ antics.

Man United face FA charge after referee report v Brighton

After draws against Liverpool and Arsenal earlier this month, Amorim’s squad has fallen to 13th place in the league table. Only seven victories, five draws, and ten defeats in 22 games this season have contributed to a rising sense of discontent at Old Trafford. A well-deserved defeat against Brighton has just added to their anguish, and they may now face an FA sanction in addition to the setback as a result of their behaviour towards the official. Pedro thought he had put the seagulls ahead after a tussle in the area fell to his feet to fire in a free-kick, but a swift check ruled his shot out.

In reaction to replays of the disallowed effort which were quickly shared online, Hackett explained VAR official Craig Pawson was right to send Bankes over to the screen for a review.

“It was the correct decision to disallow the goal,” he told Football Insider.

“He clearly kicks the bottom of the foot. A careless challenge.”
However, after the goal was first permitted by the on-field referee, United’s players quickly encircled the official to dispute the decision. This, Hackett explained, will be reported to the FA, who will then determine whether to fine the club after studying the referee’s report on the incident. “When three or more players surround the referee, he must report it using the Special Incident electronic report form. “The FA then reviews the situation and decides whether a sanction should be given.

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