Lisandro Martinez received a red card for violent behavior in the defeat to Leeds United, but a similar hair-pulling incident in the Premier League went unpunished.
There is a new twist in the Lisandro Martinez red card scandal, with similar incidents happening in the Premier League (Image: (Photo by Richard Martin-Roberts – CameraSport via Getty Images))
Manchester United’s anger over the sacking of manager Lisandro Martinez appears to have intensified following a similar incident in the Premier League that did not result in a red card. The Argentine was sent off for violent behavior after pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair during the defeat to Leeds United.
Just five days after that incident, Dango Outtara committed a similar act against Calvin Bassey during Fulham’s visit to Brentford, but referee Paul Tierney only awarded him a foul. He also refereed a match at Old Trafford earlier this week, raising further questions about the consistency of the referee’s decisions.
It could have easily been overlooked by Tierney, given the minimal contact involved. However, there was no intervention by VAR, with Craig Pawson overseeing the system at Stockley Park.
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Earlier in the season, Everton defender Michael Keane was sent off for pulling the hair of Wolves’ Tolu Arokodea.
While Outara’s minor contact is probably not as serious as the pulls committed by Martinez and Keene, the standard has been established that any contact in that area merits dismissal.
Dango Outtara appears pulling Calvin Bassey’s hair (Image: Premier League)
As a result of the decision taken regarding Martinez, he will miss three United League games and his suspension will begin against Chelsea.
Harry Maguire was also given an additional one-match ban for his comments towards the fourth official after receiving a red card against Bournemouth before the March international break, and was also banned from the trip to Stamford Bridge.
Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez was shown a straight red card against Leeds United (Image: Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images)
Compounding Michael Carrick’s problems at centre-back, Lenny Yolo was unable to travel to London due to injury and was also ruled out for the game against Chelsea.
Diogo Dalot took his place, with Nouser Mazraoui partnering with Haven in the heart of defence. However, Carrick has received a welcome boost to his fitness, with Koby Mainu returning to the starting lineup after missing the game against Leeds with a minor illness.
Manchester United duo Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez will miss the game against Chelsea due to suspensions.
There were also changes in the attacking line, with Brian Mbeumo replacing Amad on the right flank, with Benjamin Sesko continuing to lead the line.
It is a crucial match for both teams as they battle for Champions League qualification, and a win for the hosts would reduce the gap to just three points.
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