Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has disclosed what referee Chris Kavanagh told him during the VAR check for a crucial penalty in their 2-1 win over Crystal Palace. The victory, secured after coming from behind, lifted United to third in the Premier League, level on points with Aston Villa.
Palace took an early lead through Maxence Lacroix after just four minutes. However, in the second half, Lacroix fouled Matheus Cunha in the box, prompting Kavanagh to consult the VAR monitor. After review, he awarded a penalty and issued a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.
Fernandes told Sky Sports: 'The referee told me straight away that it was a penalty but he was trying to determine if it was a red card. We know that when it is a push or pull and no intention to go for the ball, it is a red card.' The midfielder scored the resulting spot-kick past former United goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
He added: 'He even told me at the end that he wanted to go to the same side as he did last week and save it. Lucky for me, he went to the other side.' Fernandes then turned provider, teeing up Benjamin Sesko for the winner to complete the turnaround.
The win was pivotal in United's pursuit of Champions League qualification, aided by Aston Villa's shock loss to Wolves. Fernandes stressed the need for consistency: 'There are a lot of games to go still and it is important that we don't feel that we are in the position that we need to be. We need to make as many points as we can.'
United next face Newcastle United at St. James' Park on Wednesday evening as they aim to build on this momentum.
