Sam Matterface fumes at ‘utter disgrace’ as West Ham v Manchester United fallout continues
Sam Matterface destroyed referee official Michael Oliver after he awarded West Ham United a “scandalous” penalty in the 2-1 win against Manchester United.
Jarrod Bowen subsequently converted the spot-kick at the London Stadium on Sunday [27 October] and secured the three points for the Hammers after Casemiro cancelled out Crysencio Summerville’s opener.
The contentious decision has sparked fury among spectators but none more so than Matterface, who couldn’t hold back his anger when discussing the penalty on the Premier League All Access podcast [28 October, 13:53].
He said: “The VAR decision to give West Ham a penalty in this game is nothing short of scandalous.
“This is not a high bar, this is a world-record-setting high jump, javelin, whatever you want to call it. It is an utter disgrace to get involved. What on earth has Michael Oliver seen?”
Michael Oliver comes to the rescue for West Ham United
Julen Lopetegui is far from the most secure manager in the Premier League this year and the boss will undoubtedly welcome what could prove to be a potentially job-saving slice of luck in East London.
The Hammers were put to the sword by Manchester United throughout a “poor” first half at the London Stadium and were lucky to remain on level terms heading into the break.
However, the Spaniard revitalised his West Ham side with his substitutions. Still, the sole focus in the aftermath of the result has been centred around Oliver’s decision to award the penalty after the VAR review.
Lopetegui won’t care as the decision rescued the three points for the Irons and ultimately, the decision has had significant ramifications on the Premier League as Manchester United sacked Erik ten Hag after the defeat.
Regardless, what is done cannot be undone, and while the level of officiating in the Premier League returns to the spotlight once again, the Hammers can use this result to propel them further up the league table with a clash against Nottingham Forest next on the agenda.
The foundations are there for Lopetegui to build on but it is up to the players to pick up the bricks and start building – sometimes in football a side needs an extra bit of luck to get over the line and now West Ham must ensure they do not squander the momentum in the league.
In other West Ham news, Julen Lopetegui has made a significant call on Todibo for the Irons ahead of the clash against Nottingham Forest.
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