Fulham defender Calvin Bassey has claimed that Leny Yoro's goal for Manchester United should have been disallowed for a foul during Sunday's Premier League encounter. The defender argued that the French centre-back pushed him out of the way before scoring from a corner at Craven Cottage.
Yoro scored United's opening goal of the 2025/26 Premier League season after converting from a corner at the back post. However, the goal wasn't enough for Ruben Amorim's side to secure their first three points of the campaign, as Emile Smith Rowe equalised for Fulham shortly after coming on as a substitute.
Penalty controversy
Bruno Fernandes missed a first-half penalty after VAR awarded United a spot-kick for Bassey's foul on Mason Mount inside the box. The miss means United have managed just one point from a possible six in their opening two fixtures.
According to the mirror, the Premier League Match Centre provided official explanation of the VAR decision process for the penalty award.
Defender's detailed claims
Speaking to Sky Sports after the match, Bassey drew parallels between his penalty foul and Yoro's alleged push. "It's the same as my one, it's a foul," he said. "He's pushed me and stopped me getting to the ball. When the referees look back it, they'll be disappointed."
The defender questioned the consistency of officiating decisions. "I can't say too much before I get a fine. Not enough force? Come on. It's a foul. When you go up to jump, any little touch can put you off," Bassey added.
He emphasised the physical nature of the contact during the goal. "He's got two hands [on me], how much force do you need? I told him, they've got a rule only the captain can speak to him, they haven't checked it," the defender explained.
Managerial support
The independent reports that Fulham manager Marco Silva agreed with his defender's assessment, supporting claims that there was a push on Bassey during United's goal. Gary Neville, according to the mirror, observed the referee accidentally bumping into Fernandes before the penalty.
Bassey concluded his assessment of the incident with frustration about the missed opportunity. "What do you want me to do? Jump on the floor, it's enough to not let me win the ball, it's a disadvantage, it should be disallowed," he said.
Sources used: "Manchester Evening News", "independent", "dailystar.co.uk", "Evening Standard", "mirror" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
