Bruno Fernandes free to face Aston Villa as Man Utd overturn controversial red card

Captain’s sending off during shambolic defeat by Spurs is voided to raise fresh questions about use of VAR

Bruno Fernandes will be free to face Aston Villa on Sunday after Manchester United successfully overturned their captain’s controversial red card against Tottenham in a move that raises fresh questions about the use of VAR.
Fernandes was sent off in the 42nd minute of United’s shambolic 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday after catching James Maddison with a high foot after slipping.
The VAR Peter Bankes upheld referee Chris Kavanagh’s on-field decision of serious foul play but United opted to appeal to the Football Association and have won their claim for wrongful dismissal.
United felt Fernandes had been harshly punished as did multiple pundits and that opinion has now been shared by the FA.
Former referees’ chief Keith Hackett said Kavanagh should have been directed to the pitch-side monitor by Bankes to review the incident again.
“I feel the referee Chris Kavanagh would have benefited from being asked to look at the incident again on the pitch-side monitor,” Hackett wrote in his Telegraph Sport column.
“He was in an excellent position and the VAR would go with the referee’s call – there was no way they would overturn this as they would say it is not a clear and obvious error – but giving him the benefit of multiple replays and angles could have resulted in a different decision.”
Fernandes was facing a three-match ban over the incident but will now not serve a suspension and be available to manager Erik ten Hag for the important Premier League game at Villa Park.
The Portugal midfielder revealed after the game that even Maddison had admitted to him that the challenge did not warrant a sending off.
“I don’t go in with the studs, I take him with my ankle, it’s a clear foul but never a red card,” Fernandes said. “Even Maddison when he gets up, he said it was a foul but never a red card.
“You can see it’s never a red card and if it is, we have to look at many other incidents. I have many incidents against me and I’ve never seen it come so quick as a red card.
“The contact is not that strong. If he wants to give me a yellow because it’s a counter-attack, I agree and I don’t know why VAR doesn’t call the referee to the screen. For me, it’s not a good decision.”