Man Utd 3 Nottm Forest 2 — Why was Cunha goal allowed? Fernandes equals Premier League assist record

Bruno Fernandes equalled the all-time Premier League assists record as Manchester United beat Nottingham Forest 3-2 on Sunday — but there was a controversial handball decision in the build-up to Matheus Cunha’s goal.

Cunha slotted home in the 55th minute to put United 2-1 up after Bryan Mbeumo appeared to handle the ball before it came to the Brazil international. Referee Michael Salisbury was sent to the VAR monitor after initially allowing the goal to stand. And, despite Gary Neville calling it a “no-brainer” of a handball on Sky Sports, Salisbury rejected the recommendation to rule out the goal and judged the offence to have been “accidental”.

Luke Shaw put United in front in the fifth minute, smashing home after getting on the end of a rebound. Forest then drew level in the 53rd minute after Elliot Anderson put in a pinpoint cross for Morato to head home, before the handball debate.

It was not Mbeumo’s last contribution of the game — after missing some gilt-edged opportunities, the Cameroon international finally scored himself in the 76th minute after a Fernandes pass, taking him to that historic 20-assist mark for the season, level with Thierry Henry in 2002-03 and Kevin De Bruyne in 2019-20.

And there was still time for Morgan Gibbs-White to put pressure on United with a fine finish from another Anderson pass to make it 3-2. Casemiro was also given a rousing send-off in his final appearance at Old Trafford, while Fernandes tried to break his new joint-record.

Here, refereeing expert Graham Scott, Carl Anka and Duncan Alexander analyse a match with plenty of talking points.

How was Cunha goal allowed?

By the letter of the law, Salisbury was within his rights to allow United’s second goal to stand, despite the ball striking Mbeumo on the arm in the build-up.

The ball deflected from close range, he appeared to move his arm backwards to try to avoid contact, and there was no intent.

Also by the letter of the law, referee Salisbury was wrong to allow United’s second goal to stand, because Mbuemo’s arm was away from his body, making him unnaturally bigger.

Which is the correct interpretation? Take your pick.

The handball law has so many clauses, sub-clauses, caveats and considerations that no one can say definitively whether Salisbury was correct or otherwise. Yes, I’ve seen them given, but I’ve also seen them waved away.

Nonetheless, the best decision here would have been for Salisbury to blow straightaway so that the goal did not happen. I doubt anyone would have protested for long.

Perhaps Salisbury was channelling his inner Farai Hallam, the rookie referee who took a similar stance after the ball struck a similarly extended arm across Manchester at the Etihad earlier this season. He was praised for his bravery in rejecting a VAR recommendation to award United’s neighbours a penalty in their match against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Salisbury is fresh from being the VAR who decided that Everton should not be awarded a penalty in their recent match at West Ham United , when Mateus Fernandes batted the ball away, albeit while an attacker was obstructing his view.

He deemed that ‘accidental’ too, so at least he’s offering the consistency many fans crave.

Graham Scott

How impressive is Fernandes equalling the Premier League’s assists record?

It’s rare to see a player celebrate a pass as much as Bruno Fernandes did after crossing to Mbeumo for United’s third goal against Forest, but then this was no ordinary pass. As pretty much everyone on the planet knows by this point, this assist took United’s captain to 20 for the season, drawing him level with Henry (in 2002-03) and De Bruyne (in 2019-20).

It’s one of the Premier League’s most historic and toughest landmarks, and owes its longevity to Opta’s strict assist definition, which applies to all games back to August 1992. Where several fantasy games are much looser with what they deem an assist, the Opta interpretation has remained consistent, which means we can reliably compare what Henry was doing more than 20 years ago with what Fernandes is up to in 2026.

Now the only question left to answer is whether Fernandes can extend the Premier League record to 21 or higher in United’s final game of the season at Brighton & Hove Albion next Sunday.

Duncan Alexander

Casemiro’s send-off and what comes next

United’s final home game of 2025-26 also meant one final chance for the Old Trafford crowd to say goodbye to Casemiro. The 34-year-old Brazil midfielder was celebrated with a special flag draped from the Stretford End before kick-off and serenaded with chants of “one more year” partway through the first half.

But there will be no surprise U-turn or contract extension. Casemiro has been excellent in his final season for United, but his substantial wages and declining mobility presented a problem for future squad building.

This summer will see the club seek out a successor for one of the best defensive midfielders of his generation. It will be a tricky and expensive task, but perhaps the most important of their summer.

A banner paying tribute to Casemiro (Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

Get Casemiro’s replacement right and United’s coaching staff will be able to redesign how the team play with and without the ball. Get the signing wrong, or complete it too late, and United may have a difficult start to the 2026-27 season.

That’s a tactical hurdle for the future. Casemiro played well in his final Old Trafford appearance. He finished the first half with 45 touches of the ball, again working as the team’s sword and shield while partnering Kobbie Mainoo.

Did he out-duel Elliot Anderson, his possible midfield replacement? The Forest man put on two excellent assists that will get tongues wagging, but Casemiro’s defensive positioning and ability to battle in the air will be hard to replicate.

He was then afforded a hero’s farewell in the 81st minute, as he was replaced by Mason Mount while home fans gave him a standing ovation. Regardless of who replaces him, Casemiro is one of the best there is at what he does.

Carl Anka

Shaw gets his moment

This has been Shaw’s 12th season at United.

The left-back is the club’s longest-serving current player, having witnessed the highs and lows of five permanent managers and four interim/caretaker appointments. Winner of United’s player of the season award in 2018-19, the club’s high points tend to occur in seasons when Shaw is fit and firing. Unfortunately, the 30-year-old has never enjoyed consecutive United seasons in which he has played more than 2,000 minutes.

Thankfully — for both player and club — this has been a positive season for Shaw. He has started all 37 Premier League matches for United, first at left-sided centre-back under Ruben Amorim, before being restored to left-back under Darren Fletcher and then Michael Carrick.

Luke Shaw celebrates his opening goal against Nottingham Forest (Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Sunday’s outing was the cherry on the cake for Shaw, as he scored his first goal of the season. He was quickest to a header from Bruno Fernandes inside the penalty area and took a touch with his left boot before calmly finishing past Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels.

Shaw does not offer overlapping runs for his winger with the same regularity as old, but instead picks his moments. His aerial ability remains an underrated bonus — as shown when he managed to beat the 6ft 3in (191cm) Chris Wood in the air when defending a corner at one point in the first half.

Would United like an upgrade in his position? Perhaps. But, on his day, the England international remains one of the better left-backs in the Premier League.

Thomas Tuchel may be inclined to select him as part of his England squad for this summer’s World Cup. Manchester City’s Nico O’Reilly may be the coming force, but the 34-cap Shaw has a level of experience that could make him an asset in North America.

Carl Anka

Do United need a striker? 

A shin injury to Benjamin Sesko meant he missed Sunday’s game, prompting Carrick to play Mbeumo as the team’s centre-forward. Before this game, Mbeumo had started six games as a striker under Carrick, but Forest proved a stubborn opponent.

Mbeumo has had moments where he has risked overthinking things since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) halfway through the season. The 26-year-old was surprised by a pull-back from Amad early in the second half, prompting a shot from his weaker right foot that was wildly off-target with the goal at his mercy.

“A truly wooden swing at that from Mbeumo,” was Neville’s assessment on Sky Sports.

Mbeumo’s attacking output has fizzled out since assisting Sesko for a late winner against Everton. He has not provided a goal or assist for United in nine matches between that victory in late February and this win in mid-May, and toiled for much of the second half against Forest.

Sunday looked to be another outing for forget for Mbeumo. For a time, his biggest impact in the game looked to be that handball in the build-up to Cunha’s goal. He produced another off-target shot moments later, prompting more than one United fan to wonder if he would cost Fernandes his chance at matching the assist record.

Manchester United’s players celebrate with Bruno Fernandes (Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)

Then, it happened. Fernandes peeled off to the right to fizz in the sort of cross that only needs to be nudged towards goal. Amad couldn’t quite get there, but Mbeumo’s outstretched left leg could. It provided a moment of catharsis for goalscorer and assist maker, with United players eventually going over to Fernandes to congratulate him for his landmark moment.

Mbeumo’s goal spared his blushes, but also made clear another area of focus for United’s summer spending. The club look in need of a new figure to play back-up striker to Sesko. This weekend saw Napoli confirm their Champions League place and therefore triggered their purchase of the on-loan Rasmus Hojlund, while Joshua Zirkzee is more of a facilitator than an outright goalscorer.

The romantic may wish for United to re-sign Danny Welbeck from Brighton to serve as a backup to Sesko. Those with an eye on European football may ask whether a short-term deal for Robert Lewandowski is possible, now that he has confirmed his departure from Barcelona.

Mbeumo can get a goal or two, but United will need someone to step in at centre-forward when Sesko cannot.

Carl Anka

What did Carrick say?

We will bring you this after he has spoken at the post-match press conference.

What next for United?

Sunday, May 24: Brighton (Away), Premier League, 4pm UK, 11am ET