Man Utd Ready to Strike Back Hard Following Explosive Bournemouth Clash
Manchester United are preparing to lodge an official complaint with the Premier League regarding the refereeing decisions during Friday's 2-2 stalemate against Bournemouth.
Having opened the scoring via a penalty kick, United were frustrated to witness their appeals for a second penalty dismissed after Amad Diallo was pulled down inside the area, with emotions running high as Bournemouth secured an equalizer moments later.
Adding insult to injury, United were penalized later in the match for what interim boss Michael Carrick described as a "virtually identical" situation, while center-back Harry Maguire received his marching orders.
The inconsistent refereeing standards, as reported by the Daily Mail, will form the basis of an official grievance from United, who are concerned about the impact of the dropped points on their Champions League qualification hopes.
Man Utd's Numerous Concerns With Premier League Referees
This grievance would mark another instance of United expressing dissatisfaction with decisions made against them during the current campaign.
United officials are convinced there have been "multiple mistakes" working against them this season, including the failure to dismiss Brentford defender Nathan Collins, the rejection of a penalty appeal versus Wolverhampton Wanderers, and the controversial decision to disallow Lisandro Martínez's strike against Burnley in January.
Beyond questioning the officiating standards, United are also expected to seek clarification regarding the duration of injury time awarded at the conclusion of the second period.
Carrick's reduced squad was compelled to defend during additional time and were shocked to see nine minutes allocated. While the second half featured four goals, two spot kicks, and a dismissal, United consider the stoppage time to have been unreasonable.
Could Bournemouth Draw Prove Costly?
Thankfully for United, their impressive run under Carrick has provided them with some cushion in the battle for Champions League qualification.
United continue to hold their fate in their own hands, knowing that seven wins from their final seven fixtures would guarantee them third place at minimum, though the worry is that the Bournemouth result significantly reduces their room for mistakes.
The stalemate maintains United's four-point advantage over fourth-place Aston Villa, who return to action against West Ham United on Sunday.
Liverpool and Chelsea, sitting closely behind in fifth and sixth positions respectively, both play on Saturday and will look to capitalize on United's setback. While neither can overtake the Red Devils immediately, the gap separating all four clubs could narrow to just four points should results work against United's interests.