Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes was sent off against Tottenham Hotspur, and the Premier League have explained the referee’s decision in a statement on X.
The Portuguese international was sent off at Old Trafford for a high challenge on James Maddison, and the referee quickly reached for his pocket and sent him off. Erik ten Hag quickly made a change, bringing Mason Mount off the bench, but the England international was booked shortly after.
Spurs were completely dominant in the early stages of the game and were good value for their 1-0 lead going into half-time, and Fernandes was clearly frustrated with his and United’s performance. Although perhaps a slightly controversial red card decision, it was a silly challenge that he didn’t need to make.
Fernandes Red Was ‘Serious Foul Play’
VAR stuck with the referee
The Premier League confirmed on X after Fernandes was sent off that the former Sporting midfielder received his marching orders for ‘serious foul play’, while the VAR checked the decision and agreed with the referee…
“The referee issued a red card to Fernandes for a challenge on Maddison. The VAR checked and confirmed the referee’s call of serious foul play.”
The decision has certainly divided opinion on social media, but the officials agreed that the call to send him off was the right one. The challenge was unnecessary from the Portuguese star, but he did slip as he went to approach the tackle.
It put United in a horrible position heading into the second half, and Dejan Kulusevski struck just after half-time to give the Red Devils a mountain to climb. Although United fans will argue that the red card was a harsh one, the performance displayed by the Red Devils will have been just as frustrating as the referee’s decision.
It was a rare red card for Fernandes, who had never been sent off before today’s game. The pundits live on Sky certainly disagreed with the officials, with Ashley Young, Darren Bent, and Jamie Redknapp all surprised that Fernandes was given his marching orders.
Speaking during the game, former Man Utd defender Gary Neville labelled the performance an absolute disgrace leading up to the Fernandes red card…
“It’s not as bad as I first thought but it just sums up Manchester United in the first half. They have been an absolute disgrace.”
Neville may have been hinting that the red card was slightly harsh, but he’s refusing to take any blame away from the United players. The referee’s decision certainly shouldn’t be used as an excuse for the Red Devils who produced a dismal display in the opening 45 minutes. The Manchester outfit will now have to be without Fernandes for three games due to suspension in the Premier League.
