Mike Dean's comment following the Rasmus Hojlund penalty incident confused Manchester United fans as the Premier League released a statement amid the controversy.
Man United fans thought they should have been awarded a penalty when Ruben Dias clumsily took out Hojlund in the second-half.
But match referee Anthony Taylor waved away the appeals.
Moments after the incident between Hojlund and Dias, the Premier League issued a statement on social media, confirming it had been checked by VAR.
On X, they wrote: "The referee’s call of no penalty for the challenge between Højlund and Dias was checked and confirmed by VAR, deeming it was normal contact."
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Speaking on commentary, Dean defended Taylor's decision not to award a spot-kick as he refuted Gary Neville's suggestion that it was a foul.
"Not in a game like this mate," he said on Sky Sports.
However, fans on social media didn't understand the former Premier League official's comment as they bemoaned the decision.
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One X user questioned: "What does Mike Dean mean??? United can feel hard done by there, for me. Foot across Hojlund's body, doesn't touch the ball, and brings him down. Penalty."
A second said: "Sorry, but Mike Dean's reasoning that Dias' foul on Hojlund can't be given 'in a game like this' - what does the size/nature of the game have to do with anything?"
A third added: "What so the rules are different in some games? What a mess."
A fourth commented: "What the f**k does that mean ??? That’s a clear foul and a pen against Holjund ffs."
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A fifth added: "That's a penalty on Hojlund all day, what does Mike Dean mean when he says 'not in a game like this'."
Another joked: "Hold on. Mike Dean just referred to a decision and said ‘it’s not enough in a game like this’. So he’s openly saying they give decisions based on who is and isn’t playing?"
Topics: Manchester United, Manchester City, Fan Reactions, Football, Mike Dean
Nasir Jabbar