Carragher slams Fernandes for 'pretending to be hurt' in Foden red-card controversy

Jamie Carragher has accused Bruno Fernandes of deliberately going down to deceive the referee after Phil Foden was shown a straight red card in Manchester United’s 1-0 home defeat to Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Foden was dismissed in the 23rd minute after kicking out at Fernandes near the far touchline. The incident began when Fernandes fouled Foden and appeared to take a swipe at the City forward while he was on the floor. Foden retaliated by kicking back, catching Fernandes with both feet in the lower abdomen — at which point Fernandes went down theatrically. Referee Michael Oliver showed Foden a straight red card; Fernandes received no punishment.

“I agree, Michael Oliver was far too quick to give the red card,” Carragher said. “It happened really quickly and his view wasn’t amazing. I think that’s one where you let VAR sort it out themselves. Two yellows for me would have been fine.”

Carragher reserved his sharpest criticism for Fernandes, however. “I was really disappointed with Bruno Fernandes. My big one that I really don’t like is people going down pretending they’re hurt,” he said. “That reaction from Bruno there should not be the reaction for what Foden did. It was a brush with his foot. I can’t accept it. I’m not having it.”

The pundit was careful to frame his criticism as consistent, noting he had made the same argument about Harry Kane in a similar incident for Tottenham five or six years earlier. “I know there might be Manchester United fans at home thinking I’m only saying this because he’s a Manchester United player,” he added.

Despite playing more than an hour with ten men, City went on to win the derby through Erling Haaland’s 59th-minute strike, the Norwegian bundling home at the back post after getting on the end of Josko Gvardiol’s deflected cross. Haaland’s goal was itself not without controversy, though Carragher’s post-match focus remained firmly on the Fernandes incident.