Muzaffar Musa
Sun Nov 22 2020

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, mempertahankan keputusan pengadil, David Coote, melakukan tiga keputusan sukar yang memberikan kemenangan kontroversi Manchester United ke atas West Brom dalam perlawanan Liga Perdana Inggeris (EPL) awal pagi tadi.
Bruno Fernandes menyudahkan sepakan penalti yang diambil semula pada minit ke-56 di Old Trafford untuk memberikan kemenangan pertama United di gelanggang sendiri dalam EPL sejak Julai lalu.
Fernandes mengambil semula sepakan itu selepas penjaga gol West Brom, Sam Johnstone, menyelamatkan percubaan pertamanya tetapi dikesan keluar terlalu awal daripada garisannya.
Terdahulu, sepakan penalti pasukan pelawat itu turut dinafikan pada awal babak kedua apabila Coote membatalkan keputusan awalnya selepas merujuk video bantuan pengadil (VAR).
Gembira selepas menamatkan penantian kemenangan itu, pengurus United, Solskjaer, turut mempertahankan keputusan Coote.
"Sudah pasti kami gembira dengan tiga mata ini, kemenangan pertama (di laman sendiri) dalam luga musim ini selain tidak dibolosi, kami gembira dengannya," katanya dalam sidang media.
"Ia keputusan yang sukar dan saya fikir dua keputusan mengenai sepakan penalti itu, termasuk yang ketiga kerana Sam terlebih dahulu keluar garisan adalah tepat."
United kini berada di tangga kesembilan EPL dengan tujuh mata di belakang pendahulu, Tottenham Hotspur, yang telah beraksi lebih satu perlawanan.
Sejak permulaan musim lalu, 16 peratus daripada gol keseluruhan United dihasilkan melalui sepakan penalti (13/79) -- peratusan tertinggi berbanding mana-mana pasukan yang bersaing dalam dua edisi itu.
United seterusnya akan bertandang ke laman Istanbul Basaksehir dalam saingan Liga Juara-Juara Eropah awal pagi Rabu ini.

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