Manchester United’s 1-1 draw against Arsenal sparked controversy after Bruno Fernandes’ first-half goal.
The discussion was not about the quality of the strike but about the role referee Anthony Taylor played in setting up the moment.
A surprising mistake in placing the defensive wall gave Fernandes an unexpected advantage, one that Arsenal could not undo.
Did Taylor’s mistake helped Man United and Bruno Fernandes?
The incident happened when United won a free kick just outside Arsenal’s penalty box. Normally, the defensive wall must be placed 10 yards from the ball.
However, technology later revealed that Taylor had set the wall at 11.2 yards (reports backed by Sky Sports), allowing Fernandes extra space to execute his shot.
Christian Eriksen later made a lighthearted comment about the situation. “Very good, happy that the wall was about 15 meters away,” he said. His words highlighted how the mistake worked in United’s favor.
Former Manchester United defender Gary Neville also weighed in. “At the end of the day, the referee is pushing them back too far, which is a mistake,” he said on the Gary Neville Podcast. “Bruno Fernandes has the ability to play it over the wall, and he took full advantage.”
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How Arteta and Rice reacted to the situation
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta refused to criticize Taylor but acknowledged that Fernandes had been quick to react. “He’s been smart and he took advantage, that is football,” Arteta told Sky Sports. “He’s been smarter than the ref. That’s OK, they allowed him to do it.”
Declan Rice, who later equalized for Arsenal, admitted the defensive wall could have done better. “It felt like a couple of us jumped and some of us didn’t, but I’ve not seen it back,” he said. “It felt like the ball flew over us at quite a low height, so from the wall’s perspective, we could have done a lot better.”
The match ended in a draw, but Taylor’s mistake might be remembered as a key talking point for some Arsenal fans.
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