Referee Michael Oliver was seen in a humorous moment with Tottenham star Conor Gallagher and Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes during footage revealed from "Ref Cam".
Referee Michael Oliver during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford
Michael Oliver joked about a Tottenham star's effort in the clash with Manchester United(Image: (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images))
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Michael Oliver was spotted making a brutal joke at the expense of Conor Gallagher, after a discussion with the Tottenham star and Manchester United club captain Bruno Fernandes.
The moment came in the clash between the two teams in the Premier League over the weekend, which had deployed "Ref Cam", a point-of-view camera to show what the match official is seeing on the pitch as it happens.
It's been used on a few occasions by PGMOL, the referee's governing body, with an attempt to help create transparency over the tough task the officials have on the pitch, while also helping to humanise them in a moment when plenty of them are facing abuse on social media.
One such moment from the footage showed an interaction between Oliver, Gallagher, and Fernandes during the match at Old Trafford.
While Fernandes was appearing to plead with the referee over a decision, Gallagher came over to say "I nearly scored," pointing towards the goalmouth.
Oliver quickly hit back and joked: "With a better first touch, you would have done," prompting laughs all around.
It was an amusing moment from some rare footage, showing the on-pitch dynamic between the players and the referee throughout the match.
Of course, Oliver was a key factor in the game when he awarded a red card to Cristian Romero for a dangerous challenge on Casemiro after 29 minutes.
Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur as he is shown a red card by referee Michael Oliver during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur
Michael Oliver sent off Cristian Romero during Man United's win over Tottenham(Image: (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images))
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That was a turning point in the match, as Bryan Mbeumo scored within 10 minutes of that sending off, before Fernandes finished the game off with a second goal in the final 10 minutes of the second half.
The victory ultimately made it four wins from four for Michael Carrick as interim boss, before his side rescued a late draw against West Ham to continue an unbeaten start under the temporary manager.
With the lack of FA Cup football, following an early exit at the hands of Brighton, Man United will be waiting to make their return to action in the Premier League.
They take on Everton on Monday, February 23, giving another 11 days of rest and preparation before taking to the pitch once again.
"We’ll stay in Manchester," Carrick said on the plans for the squad over this time. "It’s a chance to refresh a little bit, we have a few knocks and a few niggles.
"We have a few strains we would like to clean up, as well it will be good to have a little breather, and to digest where we’re at after this period.
"We need to clear our heads, do some good work, take a deep breath and to come back even stronger. It’s a strange one, 13 days, but we’ll look to make the most of it.”