Bruno Fernandes and referee Chris Kavanagh had an altercation while Manchester United played Fulham at Craven Cottage in their second Premier League match this season
Bruno Fernandes looks back at referee Chris Kavanagh
Bruno Fernandes and referee Chris Kavanagh collided when Manchester United played Fulham
(Image: Getty Images)
The former Premier League referee Keith Hackett has called for Chris Kavanagh to be warned weeks after bumping into Bruno Fernandes before the Manchester United captain took a penalty against Fulham.
Fernandes collided with the referee while stepping back from the ball before striking his spot-kick. After the coming together, he sent that penalty over the crossbar.
It was just the fifth he has missed for United. Scoring there would have given the visitors a 1-0 lead at Craven Cottage 20 minutes before they eventually did through a Rodrigo Muniz own goal that Leny Yoro headed onto the Fulham player.
Fernandes acknowledged afterwards to Sky Sports: "I was upset. As a penalty-taker, you have your own routines, your own things that you do.
"It upset me because the referee didn't apologise. That is what triggered me in that moment, but that's not an excuse for missing the penalty.
"I had a very bad hit on the ball. I put my foot too far under the ball, and that's why it ended up going over the bar."
Four weeks later, he was involved in another controversial incident on Saturday afternoon after not sending off Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Yerson Mosquera for bringing down Newcastle United winger Harvey Barnes while running behind their backline at St James' Park. Hackett believes further repercussions should be forthcoming for Kavanagh.
"I'm quite clear that what should happen is that the referee, who is suffering a loss of form, should be warned that their officiating is not up to the right standard," he has told Football Insider. "They should not receive an appointment next week.
"They should take some officiating advice from their coach because what let Kavanagh down is his position. Referees need to apply a dynamic sprint in order to get a viewing angle. Kavanagh was caught out and didn't have a good viewing angle."
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