Fernandes should have been carded for Foden incident, says ex-FIFA referee Hackett

Bruno Fernandes avoided any sanction he should have received for his role in Phil Foden’s first-half red card during Manchester City’s 1-0 win at Old Trafford on Sunday, according to former FIFA referee and ex-PGMOL chief Keith Hackett.

Foden was dismissed for kicking out at Fernandes after the United captain had fouled him, but replays showed Fernandes appeared to kick Foden first. Hackett told Football Insider that the referee made a clear error by allowing Fernandes to go unpunished.

“The minimum that the Man United player should have received is a yellow card because his actions were reckless,” Hackett said. “But it was a kick. So I’m actually saying he should have received a sanction. I’ve already spoken to one or two colleagues who believe that he should have been sent off.”

Hackett stopped short of calling for a red card himself, citing the absence of excessive force or malice. “The thing that persuades me towards yellow and against red is I don’t think there was any excessive force and I generally don’t think there was malice in it. But certainly not getting a yellow was an error by the referee.”

City manager Enzo Maresca was less equivocal after the final whistle, insisting both players deserved to be sent off. “I think Phil Foden’s red card is a red card, but I also think that in the same action it’s a red card for Bruno Fernandes,” Maresca said. “You can also see in the same action Bruno’s intention. So for me, yes, it’s a red card for Phil, but it’s also a red card for Bruno.”

Former United captain Roy Keane echoed that view at half-time, arguing Foden’s dismissal was itself questionable given the provocation. “Bruno goes in, tackles him, clearly fouls him and gives him a little boot on the floor. Foden gets up, does react, and he’s now sent off,” Keane said. “I’m guessing it’s classed as violent conduct, but to me Bruno’s the one who’s violent here.”

Keane added that Foden had been naive to react visibly, but maintained the original foul changed the context of the whole incident. “Foden’s a bit daft here, but so is Bruno,” he said. “If Bruno got sent off for that and nothing happened with Foden then we’d be saying, ‘Do you know what, Bruno was a bit daft, a bit silly’.”

City’s victory moved them above United in the Premier League table, with the red card proving a decisive turning point in a tightly contested first half at Old Trafford.