Mark Clattenburg breaks down ‘bizarre’, ‘unfair’ law that allowed Maguire’s goal vs Ipswich to stand

**Manchester United won 5-2 against Ipswich but the Harry Maguire goal which gave them the lead for the first time is under the scanner. **

Having gone into half-time on level terms, Man Utd came out rampant in the second half, set on their way courtesy of an own goal forced by Harry Maguire.

Maguire’s shot took a deflection off Jacob Greaves to nestle into the corner, and United used that momentum to win 5-2.

United in Focus spoke to Mark Clattenburg to understand how the handball from Maguire affected the passage of play, and why the goal was allowed to stand.

Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images

Mark Clattenburg on ‘bizarre’ Harry Maguire goal

The handball was clear from Maguire, so there was some confusion when it was said that because it came off Greaves, the own goal allowed the handball to be written off.

Former PL referee Mark Clattenburg broke the law down for United in Focus readers, calling it a “bizarre” and “unfair” law which goes against the “spirit of the game”.

He explained: “The key point is that the ball which was not goal bound went in off Ipswich defender Jacob Greaves, rather than directly off Maguire. So it was ultimately treated as an own goal, not a Maguire goal.

“Under the handball law, an accidental handball by an attacking player isn’t automatically an offence in the build-up unless the player himself scores directly (or immediately after the hand/arm touch, depending on the circumstances). Since the final touch was by Greaves, VAR judged there wasn’t grounds to disallow it.

“So, basically, Maguire’s hand may have touched it, but because Greaves supplied the final touch, the goal could stand. And yes – it looks bizarre, because if Maguire’s touch had been the final touch, the outcome could have been different.

“The law needs changing because this seems unfair and not in spirit of how the law is written.”

For added understanding, this is what the official VAR audio said while analysing the passage of play: “Maguire was not the immediate goalscorer after an accidental handball. It’s an own goal and the accidental handball is not punishable, so we recommend you award the goal.”

Is it frustrating? Yes, because had this goal been given against Man Utd, the fans would have erupted in uproar.

The law might need to be rewritten and checked, but for now, the goal was allowed within the parameters of the law as intended.

There is no conspiracy theory here, just a weird law applied perfectly in context of what happened.