Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Jose Mourinho clashed over a controversial VAR goal reversal in Manchester United’s 3-1 Premier League victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, trading barbs that ended with the Portuguese coach slamming the former Norway striker for accusing Spurs forward Son Heung-Min of conning the referee.
The opening half-hour of the match was turgid, but things livened up considerably in the 34th minute when United opened up Tottenham’s defence with Edinson Cavani shooting past Hugo Lloris after being played in by Paul Pogba.
United’s celebrations were cut short, though, as referee Chris Kavanagh was instructed by the VAR to check a monitor to see whether McTominay had caught Son in the face with his arm in the build-up. It had looked accidental, but Kavanagh thought otherwise, much to the frustration of United’s players.
“The game has gone. Game has absolutely gone.
“If that’s a clear and obvious error, it’s an obvious error he had to look at it. It was a perfectly good goal.
“We shouldn’t be conned. I have to say, if my son stays down for three minutes and he needs his 10 mates to help him up, he won’t get any food. We weren’t conned, the referee was,” Solskjaer told Sky Sports of the decision.
Hearing of Solskjaer’s comments about Son after the match, Mourinho aimed some pointed words at the United manager, saying he was “very disappointed” with the message.
“First of all, let me tell you something. I’m very, very surprised that after the comments that Ole made on Sonny, you don’t ask me about it.
“If it’s me, telling that player A, B or C from another club, if it was my son I wouldn’t give him dinner tonight, what would be the reaction of that? It’s very, very sad,” Mourinho told reporters.