Bruno Fernandes missed a crucial penalty for Manchester United against Fulham, sending his effort high over the crossbar in the first half. The Portuguese midfielder appeared visibly frustrated after referee Chris Kavanagh accidentally bumped into him during his penalty preparation.
Gary Neville claimed the referee's interference directly caused Fernandes to miss the spot kick. The former Manchester United defender argued that Kavanagh's "clumsy" actions threw off the usually reliable penalty taker.
Controversial incident unfolds
The penalty was awarded after a VAR review when Calvin Bassey was adjudged to have fouled Mason Mount during a corner. According to the Daily Mail, the VAR review process took nearly five minutes before the penalty was confirmed.
As Fernandes walked backwards to prepare for his run-up, Kavanagh accidentally collided with him while trying to move out of the way. Replay footage showed the referee appearing to apologise, but Fernandes gesticulateed angrily at the interruption.
Expert analysis backs referee blame
"He picked the ball up, then he bundles into referee a bit," Neville told Sky Sports. "He gave him a bit of a bump by accident, and he goes back. It just unnerved him a little bit."
Neville added that Fernandes felt the referee's actions were "clumsy" and that it disrupted his usual penalty routine. Ashley Young supported this analysis, stating that referee Kavanagh had "put him off."
Divided opinions emerge
Fan reactions on social media were mixed about whether the incident should have affected a professional player. Some questioned Fernandes' mental strength, with one fan writing: "If Bruno Fernandes is capable of being put off by something as minor as a referee accidentally bumping into him, he needs to sort himself out."
The miss was particularly unusual for Fernandes, who has built a reputation as an excellent penalty taker throughout his career. Manchester Evening News reports that the Premier League has introduced new directives to clamp down on holding offences in the penalty area this season.
Sources used: "Sky Sports", "Daily Mail", "Manchester Evening News", "Mirror" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
