'He can't' - Dermot Gallagher issues verdict on Man Utd vs Tottenham decisions including red card

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has weighed in on the big decisions during Tottenham’s comfortable win over Manchester United on Sunday. Spurs made easy work of the Red Devils at Old Trafford, winning 3-0 thanks to goals from Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke.

Tottenham were dominant from the off, but they were undoubtedly helped by a red card decision that saw Bruno Fernandes sent for an early bath just before half-time, with the score at 1-0. Fernandes came in high on James Maddison but did clearly slip as he reached to make the challenge, and the slip clearly impacted the angle of the tackle.

Despite the slip being visible to all watching on television, VAR did not overrule the decision, and the red card stood. Speaking about the incident, former Premier League referee Gallagher said on Sky Sports: “I don't think the referee can see it. He can't see the challenge happen. It's a glancing blow down the leg. He has an optical illusion, a more palatable decision would have been a yellow card.”

There were also claims that United should have had a penalty when the ball caught Cristian Romero’s arm, but Gallagher was not convinced due to a key factor, adding: “It hits his chest first. It comes off his chest onto his arm. It's not a handball and it happens quickly.”

Fernandes not convinced by red card

Bruno Fernandes expressed his disagreement over the red card after the game, but he did still take it on the chin. He said: "I just wanted to come and talk [do the interview] and be myself because my teammates deserve that for what they have done in the game playing with one man less. Particularly as I was the man sent off, the one that let them down.

"The team showed a lot of character, a lot of resilience, a lot of fight. They tried. It wasn't easy. Never a red card, that is my view. I agree that it is a foul but it is never [a red card]. The referee tried to tell me that as he saw it was a clear contact with the studs, no. I didn't touch him with the studs or even the foot, it was my ankle. It is a clear foul.

"If he wants to give me a yellow because they are going to go on a counter then I agree. But more than that, no. It is not the case. I think we struggled a bit [before the red card]. We tried to force it a little bit, to rush it and go too quick. When they have the high line we made mistakes on the ball and then we got punished and it didn't go the way we wanted from there.

"Then the red card makes it worse. I have to appreciate all the effort my team-mates have done to try and return to the game but it wasn't possible. They showed great effort and character and I was happy for that."