In the 89th minute of Man Utd's opening Premier League match against Arsenal, a controversial no-call left the home side and fans questioning the referee's decision. Matthijs de Ligt's shot from the left side of the Arsenal penalty area led to Matheus Cunha attempting a back-heel with his right foot, accidentally hitting his own left leg. Behind him, Arsenal defender Williams Saliba extended his leg, making contact with Cunha's standing leg, causing the Man Utd forward to fall. However, no penalty was awarded.

The incident where Cunha fell in Arsenal's penalty area, but Man Utd were not awarded a penalty. (Source: Unknown)

The incident where Cunha fell in Arsenal's penalty area, but Man Utd were not awarded a penalty. (Source: Unknown)

Former referee Mike Dean, speaking on Sky Sports, believed the no-penalty decision was correct, describing the contact as "foot-on-foot". Former Man Utd defender Gary Neville agreed, stating he didn't think it warranted a penalty.

Despite these opinions, the decision by referee Simon Hooper and VAR Paul Tierney sparked considerable debate on social media. A Reddit post about the incident garnered over 500 comments in just an hour, with the most popular comments arguing the officials made a mistake. "Can't understand this decision. Saliba didn't touch the ball," user MartianDuk commented.

On X (formerly Twitter), Daily Mail reporter Nathan Salt also argued Saliba should have been penalized for kicking Cunha's leg without touching the ball. The account @FootyAccums criticized Dean for consistently defending his colleagues, even when decisions are seemingly incorrect.

A penalty in this situation could have potentially saved Man Utd from defeat in their opening match. However, manager Ruben Amorim remained optimistic, stating that if his team continues to perform at this level, they can beat any team in the Premier League. "Against a strong opponent like Arsenal, Man Utd played better," the Portuguese manager said. "Therefore, we can win any match."

While the incident didn't result in a penalty, Cunha was a standout performer for Man Utd, attempting 4 shots. One notable effort saw him dribble from his own half into the penalty area, but his weak shot was easily saved by goalkeeper David Raya. The Brazilian forward also completed 4 dribbles, the most of any player on the pitch. However, he also lost the most duels (12).

Man Utd's next match is away against Fulham next week.

Compiled by Hoang An