Howard Webb sparks strong reactions with his call on Phil Foden’s red card in the Manchester derby
Howard Webb has stirred up a lot of debate online after agreeing with Michael Oliver’s decision to send Phil Foden off during the Manchester derby. Foden was shown a red card midway through the first half at Old Trafford after he kicked out at Bruno Fernandes in response to being kicked twice by the United captain while on the ground. Oliver quickly ruled Foden’s reaction as ‘violent conduct.’
Foden’s sending off was controversial because many felt Fernandes overreacted, with former player Jamie Carragher calling Fernandes “really poor” for rolling around to try to get Foden sent off. Even with one less player, Enzo Maresca’s Manchester City side still won 1-0, but the goal itself caused more controversy. Howard Webb admitted the winning goal by Erling Haaland shouldn’t have counted because Enzo Fernandez was offside when he touched the ball. The decision to let the goal stand upset many fans, similar to the reaction to Foden’s red card.
In a recent episode of Match Officials Mic’d Up, Webb shared his thoughts on the key decisions from the weekend with Michael Owen. Webb agreed with Foden’s red card, saying, “He kicks out with force into the upper body of Bruno Fernandes, so the referee’s decision to give a red card was correct.” He explained why Fernandes wasn’t sent off too, calling Fernandes’ kick “petulant” rather than violent because it didn’t have “excessive force or brutality.” This kind of action would only deserve a yellow card, which VAR can’t review unless the referee misses it completely.
Webb’s comments about Foden kicking with “force” upset many fans on social media, who felt the contact didn’t deserve a red card. One person wrote, “Kicks out with force into the upper body? Lmao.” Another said, “Foden barely touched him, but Bruno kicked him twice – Webb is wrong.” Some pointed out that Fernandes’ actions seemed more aggressive than Foden’s. One fan said, “How can you say Bruno’s kick was petulant and Foden’s violent? Bruno’s was way more forceful.”
This Manchester derby was one of the most dramatic in recent years, and the two key incidents from the match are still sparking lots of discussion and mixed opinions.