Mark Clattenburg Reveals Whether Man United Should Have Had a Penalty vs Man City

Mark Clattenburg, a former Premier League referee, has rendered a decision regarding allegations that Casemiro, a midfielder for Manchester United, should have been handed a penalty during Sunday’s draw with Manchester City. The Brazilian, who started in midfield with Manuel Ugarte, had one of his best games in recent months, but he felt wronged when John Brooks waved down his cries for a penalty kick.

After a fairly careless swipe from former teammate Mateo Kovacic, the former Real Madrid player went down and remained on the deck for a long time. Clattenburg has now expressed his opinions about the event and if Ruben Amorim’s team was unfortunate not to receive a penalty.

Clattenburg Shoots Down Claims For Penalty on Casemiro

The 50-year-old agreed with the onfield decision

HOW TF IS THIS NOT A PENALTY?
pic.twitter.com/oAyYFPhAZs

— ☈ッ (@TheFergusonWay) April 6, 2025

Following the match, Clattenburg told United in Focus that he thought the right choice had been made and that Kovacic’s challenge did not hinder Casemiro. The former Nottingham Forest referee analyst gave the following explanation for his decision: The United player expected the contact and fell down because of this:

“Kovacic’s challenge on Casemiro does not qualify as a penalty kick. Kovacic pulls his foot away without touching the ball or Casemiro after realising he was not going to play the ball.

“Casemiro drops down with the back of his leg in anticipation of some contact. Kovacic leaps above Casemiro’s fall to establish any additional contact as he hits the ground.

“The replays from behind the goal and the side view support the referee’s accurate ruling, which is demonstrated by his arms raising in the air to indicate no penalty. Referee John Brooks deserves praise for correctly calling two significant calls during the game without the aid of VAR.

Amorim on the Recent Resurgence of Casemiro
Despite being on the chopping block, the Brazilian has shown promise in recent games.

“He wasn’t playing because I understood he wasn’t the best option for the way we want to play,” Amorim stated in reference to his recent arrival to the team. “But he kept working.”

“I have the same perspective on my players. They have the chance if they enhance our requests. They keep playing if they perform well. That was Casemiro’s situation. The player deserves all the credit.