Good news for coach Ten Hag and MU fans as they successfully appealed against the red card, allowing midfielder Bruno Fernandes to avoid a three-match suspension.
In the match of the sixth round of the Premier League between MU and Tottenham, the home team had a very poor start. They played awkwardly and frequently made passing errors, leading to loss of possession. In the 3rd minute, Van de Ven intercepted the ball near the midfield, quickly accelerating into MU’s half and assisting Johnson to score the opening goal.
The situation worsened for MU as they had to play with ten men from the 42nd minute. Captain Bruno Fernandes made a poor tackle on James Maddison of Tottenham. Fernandes’s boot caught Maddison’s leg, causing the visiting player to fall.
Referee Kavanagh immediately issued a red card to Fernandes. Although he was advised by VAR assistants afterwards, he did not change his decision.
PGMOL (Professional Game Match Officials Limited) issued an explanation after the incident, confirming that “this was a serious foul situation. VAR intervened and confirmed the referee’s decision was correct.”
However, after a thorough review of the footage, the FA (Football Association) acknowledged that the referee was wrong to send off Bruno Fernandes. This means that the MU captain is eligible to participate in the next three matches in the Premier League against Aston Villa, Brentford, and West Ham.
Meanwhile, coach Erik ten Hag stated: “I don’t think that situation warranted a red card. We had clear opportunities and could have turned the match around, but the red card had a significant impact on the game.”