Ex-Referee Delivers Verdict on Legitimacy of Bryan Mbeumo’s Goal Against Liverpool

Former PGMOL chief Keith Hackett has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Bryan Mbeumo’s opening goal in Manchester United’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. The result handed United their first win away to their arch-rivals since 2016 and ended a seven-month wait for an away victory under manager Ruben Amorim.

United struck early through Mbeumo in the second minute, unsettling the Premier League champions, before Liverpool hit back late on through Cody Gakpo. But their efforts were undone when Harry Maguire sealed the win with a decisive header six minutes from time.

Liverpool fans and pundits alike were left fuming at referee Michael Oliver’s decision not to stop play in the buildup to United’s opener, after Alexis Mac Allister went down with a head injury. The midfielder later wore a protective cap for the rest of the match, and Hackett has now given his professional assessment of the incident that sparked heated debate.

Keith Hackett’s Verdict on the Controversial Goal

Hackett admitted that Mbeumo’s goal was somewhat fortunate to stand but maintained that Oliver made the right call given the circumstances.

“Three players challenged for the ball in a fair manner, and it bounced into Man United’s favour. They went on to score a legitimate goal,” Hackett told Football Insider. He added:
“It seemed Oliver didn’t see the head injury, so play was rightly allowed to continue. VAR couldn’t intervene, as it wasn’t a clear and obvious error. Football is a contact sport.”

While referees are encouraged to stop play immediately for potential head injuries, Premier League rules don’t make it mandatory. The league’s guidelines state that when a referee halts play for a suspected head injury, medical staff must be summoned, and the player must undergo assessment off the field for at least 30 seconds once play resumes.

Since Mac Allister’s clash came with teammate Virgil van Dijk—rather than an opponent—VAR could not intervene, as no foul occurred in the buildup.

For Liverpool, the defeat leaves them four points behind leaders Arsenal and extends their losing run to four matches for the first time since 2014 under Brendan Rodgers. More concerningly, they now sit just two points ahead of Manchester United—a team still trying to shake off last season’s mid-table struggles.