Premier League backs Everton no-penalty call as United's VAR misery deepens

The Premier League has confirmed that referee John Brooks and the VAR officials were correct to wave away Manchester United’s penalty appeals during the 2-2 draw at Everton on September 6, adding another chapter to a week of VAR turbulence for the club.

The incident in question came when Matheus Cunha appeared to be dispossessed by James Tarkowski inside the Everton box. United players and travelling supporters immediately called for a spot-kick, but VAR took only a brief look before the decision stood. The Premier League’s panel of refereeing experts has now reviewed the footage and backed that call unanimously.

“The referee’s call of no penalty was supported as Tarkowski clearly and fairly won the ball through Cunha’s legs,” the Premier League said in a statement.

The sequence that led to the appeal was one of the game’s more eye-catching moments. Marcus Rashford drove at pace into the Everton area, beating Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite with a neat piece of footwork before rolling the ball back to Cunha on the edge of the six-yard box. As Cunha shaped to finish, Tarkowski’s last-ditch challenge took the ball cleanly, and Branthwaite cleared the danger.

The Everton ruling lands in the same week that the Premier League’s refereeing body, Pro Ref, admitted an “error of judgment” over the goal Erling Haaland scored for Manchester City in Sunday’s 1-0 derby win at Old Trafford. The on-field call had initially flagged Haaland offside, only for VAR to overturn it — but officials failed to account for Enzo Fernandez, who was in an offside position and had interfered with play. The goal should not have stood, and United received a formal apology.

The two incidents, separated by a week, have intensified scrutiny of VAR decision-making in matches involving United. While the Everton verdict offers no grounds for complaint — the panel found the challenge unambiguous — the derby error has already prompted wider questions about the consistency and reliability of the system.