Referee Michael Salisbury Misses Final Premier League Matchday After Forest Error

Referee Michael Salisbury will not be selected for the final Premier League matchday after PGMO admitted an error in allowing Matheus Cunha’s goal for Manchester United against Nottingham Forest. The decision leaves one of the league’s officials sidelined after a high-profile mistake in a match that drew immediate attention.

Matheus Cunha Goal Review

PGMO admitted the error involved Bryan Mbeumo’s handball before Cunha scored against Forest. That sequence is the reason Salisbury is out for the closing round of fixtures, a move that puts the officiating review directly in front of the final weekend.

Manchester United and Nottingham Forest were at the center of the incident. The goal stood on the day, but the later admission changed the story around the result and the referee’s assignment for the last matchday.

Bryan Mbeumo Handball Call

The key detail is the handball decision that should have come before Cunha’s finish. Once that call was acknowledged as wrong, the focus shifted from the goal itself to the handling of the phase that led to it, with Salisbury’s name attached to the missed judgment.

For Forest, the admission leaves the goal as a disputed moment in a match they will remember for the wrong reason. For United, it keeps Cunha’s finish tied to a sequence that the officiating body has already said was handled incorrectly.

Final Matchday Without Salisbury

Salisbury’s absence from the final Premier League matchday is the practical consequence. It is a direct response to the admitted mistake and a sign that the governing officiating group has moved quickly to adjust its appointments after the Forest incident.

For the last round, the assignment list now carries that decision into the final day of the season. The official at the center of the error will not be on the pitch, and the handball call before Cunha’s goal will remain the defining detail of the week.