Man United get new Lisandro Martinez red card referee verdict after Cole Palmer flashpoint
Ex-Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher has admitted Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinezwas fortunate that his tackle on Chelsea’s Cole Palmer lacked intensity after he escaped with a yellow card.
The Argentina defender left United supporters with hearts in their mouth during the second half when he caught Palmer, with his studs, by the halfway line. Chelsea’s star man – who used to play for Manchester City – had flicked the ball over Martinez’s head prior to the wince-inducing challenge.
Initially, referee Rob Jones awarded a yellow card for the tackle. VAR officials took some time to evaluate that on-field decision, but decided to agree and no further action was taken.
“I think he’s lucky,” the former Premier League official said. “His starting position is so close to Palmer, if he makes that challenge, comes in from distance, speed and intensity that’s when he’ll be in trouble.
“Because he’s so close to him, he doesn’t generate that force. It’s fleeting contact.
“Because it’s such a short distance, he doesn’t generate that intensity.” While Martinez’s challenge on Palmer has split opinion in the aftermath, there was little doubt that United’s penalty for Robert Sanchez’s tackle on Rasmus Hojlund was rightfully given.
Explaining that call, Gallagher added: “I thought penalty at the time. Still think penalty, he doesn’t get any of the ball, catches the ankle.
“It isn’t too dissimilar to Ederson, on Anthony Gordon, which I thought was a penalty. Doesn’t get any of the ball.
“When you see it in slow motion, everything looks distorted – I think it’s a foul. He’s challenged with his arms, not taken the ball and caught him on the ankle, referee gives a penalty, I don’t think VAR will ever overrule it.”
Dermot Gallagher, a former Premier League referee, provided his analysis on two controversial incidents involving Manchester United during their match against Chelsea. He expressed that Lisandro Martinez was fortunate not to receive a more severe punishment for his tackle on Cole Palmer, which was ultimately assessed as a yellow card by referee Rob Jones.
Gallagher noted that Martinez’s close proximity to Palmer at the time of the tackle diminished the intensity of the challenge, leading to the decision to issue just a yellow card rather than a more severe sanction. He emphasized that if Martinez had approached from a greater distance or with more speed, he could have faced harsher consequences.
In contrast, Gallagher supported the decision to award Manchester United a penalty for the foul committed by Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez on Rasmus Hojlund, asserting that Sanchez failed to make contact with the ball and instead caught Hojlund’s ankle. He compared this incident to another recent one involving Ederson and Anthony Gordon, reinforcing that both situations warranted penalties due to the nature of the challenges. Gallagher concluded that VAR would likely not overturn the penalty decision, as the referee had correctly identified a foul in both cases.
