Bruno Fernandes and interim manager Michael Carrick have criticised a controversial refereeing decision after Manchester United suffered a heated Premier League defeat to Leeds United at Old Trafford.
The match turned sharply when defender Lisandro Martínez was shown a straight red card for alleged violent conduct involving Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
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United were already trailing 2–0 at the time, with Leeds forward Noah Okafor having struck twice in the first half, leaving Carrick’s side under heavy pressure before the decisive incident.
Carrick calls decision “shocking”
Carrick was furious after the match, claiming the red card was one of the worst decisions he had ever witnessed and insisting Martínez had been unfairly punished in the challenge.
He argued that the contact was minimal and that the situation had been misinterpreted, describing the dismissal as a “clear and obvious error” that changed the course of the game.
Fernandes also expressed frustration but avoided directly criticising the referee, admitting he feared punishment if he spoke freely about the incident and suggesting inconsistency in officiating standards.
Fernandes hints at frustration with officiating
The United captain said he could not comment further due to the risk of disciplinary action, adding that rules appear to be applied differently across similar incidents, reports Miami Herald.
Leeds striker Calvert-Lewin, who reported the incident to the referee, said he felt his hair had been pulled but declined to strongly condemn Martínez, stating he simply followed the laws of the game.
The red card proved decisive as Manchester United struggled to recover and ultimately fell to a damaging home defeat.
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