Interim manager Michael Carrick described the decision to send off defender Lisandro Martínez as “shocking,” as Manchester United suffered a 2-1 defeat to Leeds United.
Martinez was shown a red card for allegedly pulling the hair of Dominic Calvert-Lewin after referee Paul Tierney was advised by VAR’s John Brooks to review the incident on the monitor.
The Argentinian appeared perplexed by the decision and continued to voice his disagreement as he left the pitch.
After the match, Carrick expressed his anger regarding the sending off.
“To begin with, Lisandro was hit in the face and was off-balance during the grappling. He meant to touch and grab his shirt but accidentally caught his hair,” Carrick said.
“There’s no aggression in it. No tugging or sudden movements; it’s merely a brush against his hair. We need to reconsider the direction the game is taking if this is what warrants a red card. It’s an absolutely shocking decision.”
Noah Okafor stunned Old Trafford with two goals in the first half, leading Leeds to their first Premier League win against Manchester United in over 23 years.
A second-half goal from Casemiro reduced the deficit, but United couldn’t complete the comeback, as Leeds secured all three points at a crucial moment in the season.
Calvert-Lewin commented afterward that he alerted Tierney after feeling his hair was pulled. “I don’t set the rules,” he said. “I felt my hair being pulled and informed the ref; he makes the calls. It’s unfortunate for [Martinez], whether it was intentional or not. I hold no grudges.”
Earlier in the season, Everton’s Michael Keane was sent off and banned for three games for a similar incident involving Wolves striker Tolu Arokodare.
In contrast, Fulham‘s Kenny Tete went unpunished for appearing to pull Antoine Semenyo‘s hair in a match against Manchester City in February.
“It’s really concerning if that’s leading to a sending-off,” Carrick added. “While he can’t deny that he touched the hair, there’s a clear difference between a light touch and a forceful pull, and we’ve seen instances of real aggression in such actions. If this continues, we have to be concerned.”
With this defeat, Carrick’s team missed the opportunity to widen their gap to sixth place by ten points. Meanwhile, Leeds celebrated just their second away win in the Premier League this season.