During the heated clash, the England International found himself on the receiving end of a yellow card following a collision with Sasa Lukic in the 36th minute. Observers noted Maguire’s forceful approach, as he seemingly went straight through the side of the Serbian midfielder with his studs raised, exacerbating the situation by forcefully planting his right foot on top of Lukic’s ankle. The resulting impact left Lukic writhing in pain on the ground, his ankle buckling underneath the weight of Maguire’s foot.
Disgruntled fans took to social media to express their bewilderment at referee Michael Oliver’s decision to only caution Maguire instead of issuing a red card. One commentator lamented, “How on earth has VAR not sent Harry Maguire off here? Grim.” Another echoed the sentiment, describing the incident as a blatant foul deserving of a red card, implying that the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system had favored Manchester United. This sentiment was further echoed by a third fan who emphasized, “Should have been a straight red!” while a fourth humorously questioned, “How is Maguire not getting sent off for that? Absolutely awful challenge!”
The match, characterized by its intense physicality, saw Casemiro forced off the pitch after a head-on collision with Harrison Reed. Ultimately, it marked the end of Manchester United’s unbeaten start to 2024, as they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat against the Cottagers. Fulham’s Calvin Bassey ignited the scoring frenzy with a goal in the 65th minute, seizing the opportunity to put his team in the lead. Despite the earlier controversy, Maguire remained on the pitch and managed to level the score in the 89th minute, capitalizing on a rebound from Bernd Leno following a Bruno Fernandes cross.
However, with nine minutes of added time, referee Michael Oliver and his officiating team witnessed Alex Iwobi’s dramatic winner, which snatched all three points for Fulham and dealt a crushing blow to Manchester United fans. The former Arsenal player’s stunning goal in the 97th minute left Manchester United supporters heartbroken, sealing Fulham’s victory in a match filled with controversy and high drama.