Head coach Gary O'Neil says that Wolverhampton Wanderers were denied what he felt was a clear penalty during the closing seconds of their 1-0 defeat at Manchester United.
Less than a week since taking over from Julen Lopetegui, O'Neil watched his new side create the most opportunities by an away team at Old Trafford in England's top flight since 2005.
However, Wolves ultimately left the Theatre of Dreams without a point to show for their efforts as a Raphael Varane header 14 minutes from time proved to be decisive.
The visitors appeared in line to be given a chance to equalise from the penalty spot deep into added-on time when United goalkeeper Andre Onana clattered into Wolves forward Sasa Kalajdzic when attempting to meet a cross.
After the on-field referee opted against handing Wolves a spot kick, VAR deemed the incident to not be a clear and obvious error, as confirmed by the Premier League after the match.
To add insult to injury, O'Neil was handed a yellow card for his protests, and both calls from the officials have been widely condemned on social media and by pundits alike.
Should Wolves have had a penalty? 😬 pic.twitter.com/U2v3fnHhDM
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 14, 2023
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, O'Neil admitted that he had been left disappointed with what transpired during the final seconds of seven minutes of added-on time.
The Englishman said: "I thought live it was a penalty. It looked like the keeper nearly took our forward's head off. I think it is a foul, you go for the ball and clatter the player that hard, it is a penalty.
"I thought he was going over to the screen at first but unfortunately he booked me and not Onana. I understand the rules [of sticking with the on field decisions as much as possible], but I don't fully accept it.
"I have spoken to the officials about it already. It is a difficult decison for the on-field official, we can't just leave it. If we are all saying it then he need to have a look.
"In the end we can't just focus on that decision. To come to Old Trafford and have the most shots of any side since 2005 and dominate after just four days of work is exceptional. The lads deserved more tonight."
Wolves are next in action when they play host to Brighton & Hove Albion at Molineux on Saturday.
Darren Plant
