Why Lisandro Martinez Escaped a Red Card for ‘Ridiculous’ Tackle in Man Utd vs Crystal Palace – Premier League Explanation
Lisandro Martinez’s aggressive two-footed challenge on Daichi Kamada during Manchester United’s goalless draw with Crystal Palace raised considerable debate, but the Premier League has explained why the Argentine defender avoided a red card.
Referee David Coote opted to issue only a yellow card, and after a VAR review, the decision was upheld, as the officials deemed it a reckless but non-dangerous challenge due to the lack of severe contact with Kamada.
The Premier League’s Match Centre clarified the decision, stating: “VAR checked for a potential red card and confirmed the referee’s call of no red card, deeming this was a reckless challenge and made no contact with Kamada.”
Despite the decision, pundits expressed divided opinions. Jamie Redknapp, speaking on Sky Sports, heavily criticized the tackle, calling it “ridiculous” and asserting that Martinez was fortunate not to be sent off. He argued that the challenge would have warranted a red card had Martinez made solid contact with Kamada.
On the other hand, Martinez’s former teammate, Phil Jones, agreed that while the tackle was dangerous and unnecessary, it did not warrant a red card due to the lack of significant contact. He emphasized that Martinez must learn to better manage his aggression to avoid such close calls.
Ultimately, the match ended 0-0, leaving Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag frustrated with his side’s failure to capitalize on their first-half dominance, though he did not criticize Martinez’s challenge in his post-match remarks.
Why Lisandro Martinez Escaped a Red Card for ‘Ridiculous’ Tackle in Man Utd vs Crystal Palace – Premier League Explanation
