Phil Foden misses City’s next three domestic matches after his red card in Sunday’s Manchester derby, with Howard Webb now explaining why Bruno Fernandes escaped punishment despite his part in the incident.
Foden was sent off by Michael Oliver in the 23rd minute of Man City’s 1-0 win at Old Trafford after kicking out at Fernandes while the pair were on the ground.
The decision was confirmed by VAR and City have chosen not to appeal, leaving Foden suspended for Thursday’s Carabao Cup tie with Norwich and the Premier League games against Sunderland and Liverpool.
We covered Enzo Maresca’s reaction to the derby red card immediately after the game, but the release of the VAR audio has now provided more detail about what happened.
Why VAR couldn’t sanction Bruno Fernandes after Foden red card
The interesting part concerns Fernandes. Before Foden’s retaliation, the United captain kicked out at the City midfielder. Webb has since said Fernandes’ action was worthy of a yellow card, describing it as “petulant” rather than violent.
VAR, however, could not intervene simply to recommend a booking.
Had Oliver missed the entire incident, VAR could have recommended an on-field review of Foden’s actions for a possible red card, at which point Fernandes’ involvement could also have been dealt with. Because Oliver had already seen Foden’s kick and produced the red card, that option was not available.
The result was Foden being dismissed and Fernandes receiving no punishment.
Howard Webb backs Foden red card
Webb believes Oliver was right to dismiss Foden. Speaking on Match Officials Mic’d Up, he said:
“I agree with the red card for Phil Foden for violent conduct. He kicks out with force into the upper body of Bruno Fernandes.”
Webb added that Fernandes’ earlier action did not contain the “excessive force or brutality” required for violent conduct and should instead have resulted in a booking.
Former United captain Roy Keane disagreed, arguing that Foden’s reaction did not warrant a dismissal and pointing to Fernandes’ role in starting the confrontation. That is Keane’s view, though. Webb has backed Oliver’s decision, and City have decided against an appeal.
There is also no suggestion of retrospective action against Fernandes. His offence was deemed worthy of a yellow card, which VAR was unable to award.
City supporters may remember Pep Guardiola’s previous comments on Bruno Fernandes after another eventful derby involving the United captain.
City face three games without Foden
For Maresca, the argument over the decision is now secondary to dealing with Foden’s absence.
The England international misses the trip to Norwich in the Carabao Cup before sitting out the league games at Sunderland and at home to Liverpool. Red-card suspensions apply across domestic competitions, which is why Thursday’s cup tie counts towards his three-match ban.
Maresca has already acknowledged that Foden made a mistake and City have accepted the punishment. His absence will now give others an opportunity during a busy run of fixtures. The full VAR discussion and Webb’s explanation can be found in the Manchester Evening News report.
For City, the position is straightforward. Foden is banned, there will be no appeal, and Maresca has three games to negotiate without him.
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