In the highly contested match between West Ham United and Sheffield United, two incidents stood out, both occurring in the critical final minutes and directly influencing the game's outcome.

The McBurnie Incident
98th Minute - Sheffield United's Penalty Awarded

As the game neared its end with West Ham leading 2-1, a moment of controversy arose. Sheffield United's Oliver McBurnie was in the thick of the action. A cross was sent into the box, and McBurnie went up for a header, flanked by a West Ham defender and the goalkeeper. In an attempt to clear the ball, the goalkeeper missed and instead collided with McBurnie. The referee immediately awarded a penalty, a decision that was upheld by VAR after review. Despite the contact being minimal, it was considered enough to justify the penalty, a viewpoint shared by many, including myself.

The Bowen Controversy
103rd Minute - West Ham's Penalty Appeal Denied

The drama escalated after Sheffield United equalized from the spot. West Ham, in a desperate bid for a winner, pushed forward. Jarod Bowen, a key player for West Ham, became central to a controversial episode. During an attack, a cross targeted Bowen, but a Sheffield defender, turning his back to the ball and wrapping his arms around Bowen, appeared to foul him. Astonishingly, the referee penalized Bowen for handball instead of awarding West Ham a penalty. This decision, even after a brief VAR check, remained unchanged.

The stark contrast in the handling of these two incidents - the penalty awarded to McBurnie and the denied appeal for Bowen - was the highlight of the match. The first incident, involving minimal contact, resulted in a penalty for Sheffield United. In contrast, the more apparent foul on Bowen was overlooked, with the referee opting to penalize Bowen instead.

Check out our full video review of these calls