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J.J. Watt Rallies Behind Burnley Following Controversial Referee Decision Vs Man United

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Marcelo Cartaxo | Last updated Aug 30, 2025 2:45 PM ET

Former Houston Texans defensive star J.J. Watt posted a photo highlighting the “offside” of Burnley striker Lyle Foster following the goal that would have allowed the visitors to draw against Manchester United.

United fans can rest easy knowing their team secured its first win of the season after three games, with Burnley being the fourth opponent. During the match, coach Ruben Amorim had to make adjustments, but Burnley stuck to their plan and came close to upsetting United at Old Trafford.

What could have been the equalizing goal—and potentially the match-winner—was ruled out because Foster was judged to be ahead of the last Manchester United defender, Diogo Dalot. Many Premier League fans disagreed with the call, and J.J. Watt was among the critics.

pic.twitter.com/AbTREFiH9G
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) August 30, 2025

Debate over the play is ongoing, as some argue that both players were allegedly in line, meaning Foster would have been in a legal position when receiving the ball, clearing the goalkeeper, and putting it into the net. However, VAR disagreed.

Referee Mike Dean did not review the replay on the sidelines; the only time VAR was consulted in the game was for a potential United penalty. Ultimately, the penalty was awarded, and Bruno Fernandes converted it, sealing Manchester United’s first win of the season.

What's J.J. Watt Relationship With Burnley?

J.J. Watt is a minority owner of Burnley. After retiring from the NFL, Watt began exploring investments and decided to purchase a stake in the English club. This has become a common trend among North American professional athletes; for example, Tom Brady also holds shares in Birmingham FC.

Since May 2023, Watt has been involved in every Burnley move in domestic competitions. He even placed a personal bet on the team’s performance: he promised to return to the NFL if Burnley conceded a goal before the end of the 2023/24 season. That didn’t happen, despite Burnley being renowned for having some of the league’s best defensive players in recent years.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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