- Manchester United fall to a disappointing 2-1 defeat against Leeds United
- Red Devils were reduced to ten men after Lisandro Martinez sent off
- Neville claimed the player’s controversial actions were intentional
Manchester United were left disappointed as they fell to a 2-1 defeat against Leeds United on Monday evening.
A first-half brace by Noah Okafor blew the Reds away, who defensively had a nightmare first half. Michael Carrick’s side were lucky not to have conceded three or four goals before the break.
The Reds were reduced to ten men after 56 minutes, as the returning Lisandro Martinez was sent off after a hair pull on forward Dominic Calvert-Lewin. A 3/10 performance capped off a mellow return for the defender after two months out.
Martinez Return Ends in Ruin
Reds legend Gary Neville was on co-commentary for Sky Sports during the match. As soon as the game was halted in the 54th minute for a VAR check, Neville remarked: “You are not getting away with a hair-pull.”
There was a short stoppage before referee Paul Tierney announced the decision to send the Argentine off for ‘violent conduct’. As reality hit, the 28 year-old looked confused over his actions before he headed towards the tunnel.
Neville continued: “Martinez looks perplexed and confused: ‘What have I done?’ He’s pulled his hair, and that results in a red card nowadays. He knows what he’s doing there.” Coach Jonny Evans was also cautioned following the debacle.
The victim in question, Calvert-Lewin, also had his say when he was asked about the red card by Sky. He was apathetic towards the defender: “I don’t make the rules at the end of the day. I thought my hair got pulled, I told the ref, and he’s the one that makes the decisions. Unfortunate for him. Whether he meant it or not, I don’t hold grudges, but it is what it is.”
Is Hair Pulling Really Violent Conduct?
The debate over whether hair-pulling warrants a red card will go long into the night. Earlier in the campaign, former United player Michael Keane was sent off for Everton earlier in the season for pulling the hair of Wolves player Tolu Arokodare. was sent off while playing for Everton after pulling Tolu Arokodare’s hair, resulting in a three-match ban. At the time, David Moyes questioned the consistency of the rule, noting that players with longer hair are naturally more at risk.
In this latest incident, Martinez became entangled in an aerial duel with the Leeds striker. Being the shorter player, the former Ajax player appeared to grapple with the striker’s hair to maintain his balance.
However, the referee and the fourth officials followed the rulebook, classifying the action as violent conduct. This decision reignites debate as to where to draw the line between violent play and battles in a contact sport.
United now look ahead to Chelsea. While Michael Carrick will welcome back Harry Maguire from suspension, he loses Martinez for the next three matches. It is a frustrating setback for both the defender and the team following a disappointing result against bitter rivals.
