The Premier League Match Centre have issued a statement on the controversy surrounding the Manchester United penalty scored by Bruno Fernandes and the red card shown to Maxence Lacroix in the same incident. The Crystal Palace defender brought down United’s Matheus Cunha and conceded a penalty with the contact starting outside of the area but continuing into it. Lacroix put his arm on Cunha’s shoulder before the Brazilian fell somewhat theatrically.

After a VAR check, the defender was also shown red by referee Chris Kavanagh to reduce the Eagles – who had led 1-0 until Fernandes scored from the spot – to 10 men. It was decided that Lacroix had denied Cunha a clear goalscoring opportunity given the attacker was running on to a loose ball inside the box. Because it was deemed a pull, Lacroix could not be saved by the ‘double jeopardy’ rule despite a penalty also being awarded.

The double jeopardy protection only applies if there is an attempt to play the ball. Because Lacroix was several yards from the ball, the 25-year-old was given his marching orders.

The Match Centre statement read: “#MUNCRY – 52′ VAR OVERTURN After VAR review, the referee overturned the original decision of no red card to Lacroix. Referee announcement: ‘After review, Crystal Palace number 5 commits a clear holding offence which denies a clear, obvious, goalscoring opportunity. Final decision is penalty and red card.'”

Michael Dawson reacted on Sky Sports: “It’s a foul. It’s a great ball down the side from Fernandes, Cunha gets away from Lacroix who has his hands on top of him. Was it enough for Cunha to go down? Has it continued from outside to inside? You can see his hands still on the top of Cunha’s shoulder.

“Whether it’s two fingers, a full hand, it’s continued. It’s a penalty in my opinion. Is it a denial of a goalscoring opportunity? In my opinion, it is. The minute he gets goal-side and goes down, that’s an opportunity for Cunha to score a goal.”

Palace took the lead through Lacroix just four minutes in, when the Frenchman headed in the opener from Brennan Johnson’s corner. The visitors frustrated the home team in the first half until Lacroix gifted United a route back into the match early in the second half.

Ensure our latest sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as a Preferred Source in your Google search settings.

United equalised via Fernandes’ penalty in the 57th minute as the Portuguese sent his former team-mate Dean Henderson the wrong way from 12 yards. And the hosts then took the lead eight minutes later through Benjamin Sesko’s header from a Fernandes cross. Sesko now has seven goals in his last eight appearances and has scored in three in a row under Michael Carrick.

The Red Devils remain unbeaten with Carrick in charge after they went on to clinch their sixth win in seven matches under the interim boss. Victory means United rise to third in the Premier League table, joining Aston Villa on 51 points but overtaking the Villans courtesy of a superior goal difference.

It is the highest United have been in the table at any stage of the season since May 2023. Lacroix, meanwhile, became only the second visiting player in Premier League history to score and be sent off in a match at Old Trafford, after Michael Owen for Liverpool in April 1998.