Bournemouth, March 21 (NationPress) Manchester United is preparing to submit a formal grievance to the refereeing organization, Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), following what they perceive as inconsistent officiating during their 2-2 draw against AFC Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium last Friday.

The encounter was marred by several controversial decisions, including the awarding of two penalties while another appeal was dismissed, leaving the visitors feeling aggrieved by the officiating.

Defender Harry Maguire, who recently returned to the England squad for upcoming friendlies ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, faced a challenging game, culminating in a late dismissal for a foul on Evanilson in the penalty area. This decision resulted in a penalty that Bournemouth successfully converted to equalize.

United's exasperation was largely due to an earlier incident in which Amad Diallo appeared to be fouled in the box, yet both the referee and VAR chose to let play continue. This was especially frustrating given that a similar foul had previously resulted in a penalty for United, which was scored by captain Bruno Fernandes.

Interim manager Michael Carrick expressed his disbelief at the officiating, labeling the decisions as 'baffling' and questioning the contradictory judgments on two similar incidents.

“My initial reaction is that he certainly made a mistake with one of them, as he awarded one penalty for an identical situation that he didn't call for a two-armed grab,” Carrick stated, as reported by the BBC.

“The foul on Matheus Cunha was given, while the second one on Amad was not, which is almost the same, really—two hands on a player in the box, and they go down, and they are in control of the ball.

“It's a crucial moment, and I can't fathom how one was given and not the other—it's absurd. It's as clear-cut as it gets.

“If he believes that is a penalty to begin with, then the second one must also be. I don't understand how that could be overlooked. After that, everything descended into chaos. It’s astonishing,” he added.

As per the BBC report, United’s Director of Football Jason Wilcox is anticipated to raise these concerns with referees’ chief Howard Webb to seek clarity on the rulings.

In the meantime, Manchester United missed a valuable chance to solidify their position in third place in the Premier League standings. The former champions now hold 55 points across 31 matches, just four points clear of Aston Villa, who have played one match less.