Brentford 3-1 Manchester United: Bruno Fernandes penalty saved as defeat ramps up pressure on Ruben Amorim | Football News

Bruno Fernandes had a penalty saved as Manchester United fell to a 3-1 defeat at Brentford to put the spotlight back on Ruben Amorim as his search for back-to-back league wins continues.

United were 2-1 down as Fernandes waited more than four minutes to take his second-half spot-kick which was eventually saved by Caoimhin Kelleher after VAR checked if Nathan Collins should have been sent off for denying Bryan Mbeumo a goalscoring opportunity.

Referee Craig Pawson’s decision to book Collins was upheld, without him being sent to the monitor, despite the Brentford defender making no clear attempt to play the ball when pulling his former team-mate back by the shoulder.

Manchester United's Bryan Mbeumo is fouled by Brentford's Nathan Collins, leading to a penalty
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Manchester United’s Bryan Mbeumo is fouled by Brentford’s Nathan Collins, leading to a penalty

What do the laws say?

Where a player commits an offence against an opponent within their own penalty area which denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and the referee awards a penalty kick, the offender is cautioned if the offence was an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball.

In all other circumstances (e.g. holding, pulling, pushing, no possibility to play the ball etc.), the offending player must be sent off.

United only have themselves to blame for the result, their third defeat in a run of four-game winless run at Brentford, that was sealed when Mathias Jensen struck in a superb third goal in stoppage-time. All the momentum of the win over Chelsea had vanished for Amorim.

Brentford were two goals up after 20 minutes thanks to Igor Thaigo’s first-half double and, although Benjamin Sesko scored his first goal for the club to halve the deficit six minutes later, United never convinced that they believed in a comeback.

Fernandes’ second failure from the spot-kick this season ultimately cost United, who are now winless in their last eight league games on the road and back in the bottom half as Brentford climb above them in the table after a thoroughly deserved three points.

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