Leeds United's Monday night hosts were reduced to 10 men after a VAR check.
Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have disagreed on whether Lisandro Martinez deserved to be sent off for a hair pull against Leeds United.
Martinez was shown a straight red card in the 56th minute following an incident with Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The defender challenged for an aerial ball and then appeared to have hold of his opponents ponytail for a brief moment, pulling a bobble out of place, with referee Paul Tierney instructed to review the incident by VAR.
Before brandishing the card, Tierney announced to the Stadium: "After review, Manchester United No.6 is guilty of pulling his hair - violent conduct. Final decision is red card.” The Premier League Match Centre then posted an explanation on X: "After VAR review, the referee issued a red card to Martinez for violent conduct."
While hair pulling is not specifically mentioned in the laws, it is classed as violent conduct regardless of severity. Other recent examples of punishment include Everton's Michael Keane on Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare and Southampton’s Jack Stephens on Marc Cucurella of Chelsea.
Neville, Carragher and Keane on Martinez red card
Looking back on the incident as the VAR review went on, Gary Neville suggested the decision to produce a red card was correct. He told Sky Sports: “Lisandro Martinez looks perplexed and confused: 'What have I done?' He's pulled his hair and that results in a red card, nowadays. He knows what he's doing there.”
Neville’s own former teammate and current Manchester United interim boss Michael Carrick labelled the decision ‘absolutely shocking’ while also highlighting an alleged foul from Calvert-Lewin on Leny Yoro in the build-up to Okafor’s opener. Carragher wasn’t quite as strong in his opinion but did also disagree with Neville.
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"I think that is soft,” the former Liverpool defender said. “He is going for the ball, trying to grab hold of something and he has got it for half a second... I don't think any football fan, any player is thinking that is a red card."
Roy Keane added: "I can see both sides. When you class this as violent conduct this seems really harsh. It is harsh but when looking at the laws you have to accept it."
Leeds would argue they deserve to be on the right side of a debatable decision following recent confirmed errors. Their anger over a missed penalty vs Sunderland and an incorrect Gabriel Gudmundsson red card at Crystal Palace have both been vindicated by the Premier League’s Key Match Incidents panel.
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