Brentford beat Man Utd after Collins yellow on Mbeumo penalty saved

Manchester United were denied a numerical advantage late in Saturday’s match at Gtech Community Stadium after Brentford defender Nathan Collins was shown only a yellow card for a foul on Bryan Mbeumo that conceded a penalty. Referee Craig Pawson awarded the spot kick in the 71st minute, then, after a VAR review, confirmed the onfield yellow rather than upgrading to a red. Bruno Fernandes’ penalty was saved by Caoimhin Kelleher and Brentford held on to win 3-1.

The incident unfolded as Matheus Cunha delivered a low cross into the box and Mbeumo ran onto it. Collins reached out and tugged Mbeumo, bringing him to the ground. Pawson signalled for a penalty and issued a yellow card; VAR intervened to review whether the offence constituted a denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity that would warrant a straight red. After a stoppage of several minutes, the review upheld the onfield decision.

The Premier League Match Centre said VAR had “deemed that Mbeumo was not in control of the ball.” That assessment invokes factors set out in the laws of the game, notably the “likelihood of keeping or gaining control of the ball,” which officials consider when determining whether an onfield...