PGMOL Chief Howard Webb Apologises to Nottingham Forest Over Disallowed Handball in Man United 3-2 Win

Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) chief Howard Webb has formally acknowledged a refereeing error that directly influenced the outcome of Manchester United’s 3-2 Premier League victory over Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford on Sunday, May 17.

According to The Telegraph, Webb contacted Forest officials on Monday to personally admit that Manchester United’s second goal — scored by Matheus Cunha to make it 2-1 — should not have been allowed to stand. The goal was preceded by a clear handball by United teammate Bryan Mbeumo, which PGMOL subsequently confirmed provided an unfair advantage in the build-up to the finish.

The refereeing body conceded that match officials had completely misjudged the situation. VAR official Peter Bankes had correctly intervened during the match, instructing on-field referee Michael Salisbury to review the incident at the pitchside monitor. However, after examining the footage, Salisbury ruled Mbeumo’s contact with the ball to be accidental and upheld the original decision to allow the goal.

Salisbury’s choice to reject VAR’s guidance marked only the fourth occasion this season that a Premier League referee overturned a VAR recommendation following an on-field review — underscoring the rarity and significance of the call. The goal ultimately contributed to a result that proved costly for Forest, with the error directly affecting the final scoreline.

The admission from PGMOL has done little to ease tensions at Forest. Manager Vítor Pereira has publicly called for an emergency meeting with officials to seek clarity on the Premier League’s handball interpretations, which he and others have criticised as increasingly inconsistent throughout the 2025-26 campaign. The incident has amplified a broader, season-long debate surrounding VAR’s reliability and the standard of officiating in England’s top flight.

For Nottingham Forest, the implications extend beyond a single result. With the Premier League season in its closing stages, every point carries significant weight in the context of European qualification and relegation battles. A decision of this magnitude, formally acknowledged as incorrect by the governing body, raises renewed questions about whether retrospective apologies are a sufficient form of accountability when match outcomes cannot be reversed.

This is not the first time PGMOL has been compelled to issue a formal apology over a high-profile officiating error in the Premier League. Howard Webb, who took charge of the organisation in 2022 following a tenure as general manager of Professional Referee Organization (PRO) in the United States, has made transparency around refereeing decisions a stated priority — though critics argue that acknowledgements after the fact offer little practical remedy to affected clubs.

The Premier League has yet to issue an official statement on the matter, and it remains to be seen whether Vítor Pereira’s request for a meeting with officials will be granted ahead of the season’s conclusion.