ONE TOUCH SUMMARY
- Bruno Fernandes kicked Phil Foden first but avoided punishment while Foden was sent off for violent conduct.
- Howard Webb confirmed Foden's red card was correct but admitted Fernandes should have been cautioned for a petulant kick.
- VAR reviewed a potential penalty instead of Fernandes' initial challenge, missing the chance to caution the United captain.
ONE TOUCH INSIGHT
Webb’s defence of Phil Foden’s red card while admitting Bruno Fernandes deserved a yellow for the petulant kick that started the melee shows a clear double standard in the VAR protocol. Fernandes’ challenge went unpunished because officials could only review the red-card decision or a possible penalty, leaving the cautionable offence invisible to the video officials. That gap lets instigators escape sanction while the reactor bears the full brunt of disciplinary action, undermining the claim that VAR brings consistency to big‑match decisions.
The next off‑the‑ball incident involving Fernandes will be the immediate test of whether referees close that loophole or continue to let provocation go unnoticed.
WHY IT MATTERS
The incident highlights inconsistencies in VAR application and disciplinary consistency, raising questions about how referees prioritize challenges versus reactions in high-tempo derby matches.
Bruno Fernandes
AM / CM
Portugal
Strengths
- ✓Competitive intensity and willingness to challenge opponents physically
- ✓Ability to provoke reactions that disrupt opposition rhythm
- ✓Resilience in maintaining involvement despite physical challenges
- ⚠Does his tendency to initiate contact risk unnecessary suspensions that hurt team availability?
- ⚠Can he channel his aggression more selectively to avoid provoking retaliatory violence?
TACTICAL FIT
Fernandes escaping punishment may encourage similar provocative tactics from United's captain, knowing initial aggression might go unchecked if VAR focuses on subsequent reactions.
THE DEBATE
Should referees punish the instigator or the reactor more severely in derby flashpoints?
Pro Ref chief Howard Webb says sending Phil Foden off for violent conduct in the Manchester derby was the correct decision; Webb reveals Bruno Fernandes should have been cautioned for the "petulant" kick which sparked the incident but VAR could not intervene
Tuesday 15 September 2026 17:27, UK
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Pro Ref chief refereeing officer Howard Webb explains to Match Officials Mic'd Up why Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes escaped any punishment despite his involvement in the incident that saw Phil Foden sent off in the Manchester derby
Pro Ref chief Howard Webb has backed the decision to send off Phil Foden in the Manchester derby but revealed VAR could not intervene to caution Bruno Fernandes for the "petulant" kick that sparked the altercation.
Foden was sent off for violent conduct in Man City's 1-0 win at Old Trafford after kicking out at Fernandes after he was fouled by the Man Utd captain.
Fernandes escaped punishment after seemingly initiating the incident with a kick on Foden before the City forward reacted.
However, there appeared to be confusion during the VAR review of the incident as the officiating team checked for a possible Man Utd penalty after Enzo Fernandez's challenge on Youri Tielemans.
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While referee Michael Oliver was brandishing the red card for Foden, VAR official Matt Donohue can be heard discussing the penalty while also saying: "Who has been sent off and for what?" shortly after.
Donohue is then alerted by his assistants to analyse Fernandes' kick on Foden, which initiated the melee between the two players.
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Phil Foden was sent off after a clash with Bruno Fernandes!
The confusing VAR process surrounding Foden's red card
Referee: No, no. The ball, in my opinion, is played by Enzo Fernandez. Feet are side by side.
VAR: Checking possible penalty. One more angle to prove he's definitely played the ball. It looks like he's played the ball.
Phil Foden then kicks out at Bruno Fernandes after being caught by the Man Utd captain and is sent off shortly after.
Match officials in Manchester derby
- Referee: Michael Oliver * VAR: Matt Donohue * Assistant VAR: Blake Antrobus * Fourth official: Paul Tierney * Assistant referees: Stuart Burt and Tim Wood
Assistant VAR: Possible kick-out as well.
Referee: Has he kicked him there?
VAR: Confirm here you think that Enzo has definitely played the ball and that this is no penalty.
Assistant VAR: Possible violent conduct.
VAR: Okay and then he's gone red card. So, I would say no penalty there, he definitely plays the ball, yeah? Okay and now we need to look at the rest, okay?
So, who has been sent off here and for what?
Assistant VAR: It was for a kick-out. It looks like he's given a foul and then the legs came up.
VAR: Michael [referee], the penalty is checked and cleared. Just confirm your on-field decision in terms of discipline here, please.
Referee: Red card, Phil Foden. Kick out into the body of Bruno [Fernandes]. The foul is by Bruno on Phil. I think he's in a tangle and when they are separating, I think Phil kicks him. But they will check.
VAR: That looks like a clear red card to me. Secondary movement, watch broadcast. Okay, happy to confirm?
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Dermot Gallagher and Jay Bothroyd discuss whether Bruno Fernandes and Phil Foden should have both been sent off
Red card. Happy to confirm? Confirming the red card for Manchester City 47. A kick to the midriff with two feet.
Just roll through to check that Bruno does nothing. I'm absolutely certain he doesn't. No, he kicks the ball; it's fine.
Assistant VAR: No, the other one [Bruno's first kick]. That's not what they're talking about. That is the one they're talking about.
VAR: Minimal, minimal. That's not for us; that's fine.
Assistant VAR: Yeah, I agree.
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Roy Keane and Micah Richards debate the Phil Foden red card
Webb: Foden decision was correct but Fernandes avoids 'petulant' yellow
Pro Ref chief operating officer Howard Webb:
"I agree with the red card for Phil Foden for violent conduct. He kicks out with force into the upper body of Bruno Fernandes. We saw a player sent off for Aston Villa, Joao Gomes, for a similar thing.
"That is seen by the referee on the field and that is the on-field decision.
"When you look at the footage, there is the petulant kick from Fernandes into the back side of Foden. It is more petulant than violent. To be violent conduct, it has to have excessive force or brutality.
"When you look at that at full speed, it does not have that element. It would be a yellow card and VAR cannot step in to give a yellow.
"If all of it was missed and nothing was given against Foden, then VAR could step in and see Foden's actions for a possible red card and capture Fernandes' yellow card action. Because the referee gave the red card, that option is not open for VAR."
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Jamie Carragher has his say on the controversial decisions from Sunday's Manchester derby...
Analysis: Fernandes deserved equal treatment to Foden
Sky Sports' Laura Hunter:
The review of this incident is all over the place. But the most alarming element is the reading of Bruno Fernandes's part.
Lead VAR official Matt Donohue is distracted by a previous incident in real time.
His VAR assistant leads with "possible kick out" by Foden. The immediacy of the on-field decision from Michael Oliver to send Foden off is the determining factor here. Oliver acts fast which suggests he is sure, and so VAR allows the call to stand.
The bar for intervention by VAR has been deliberately lifted higher for subjective decisions, remember, to avoid re-refereeing of games. This remains a grey area but less VAR interference is a good thing in my book.
Most can accept that Oliver's decision to dismiss Foden is not a "clear and obvious error" given where he makes contact with Fernandes. Whether it meets the threshold for "violent conduct" is of course open to interpretation.
What the VAR room failed to spot, however, is the trigger for Foden's reaction. Why is that not scrutinised in more detail?
"I'm absolutely certain he doesn't [do anything]," Donohue says of Fernandes's involvement. In reality, the Man Utd captain is the first offender and Foden's kick was retaliation for the kick he received after being fouled.
The decision not to punish Fernandes for the exact same action Foden is red-carded for is surely a huge oversight. Both deserved equal treatment in my opinion, especially important as Oliver clearly missed the first part from his position on the pitch. There is never any mention of it.
VAR's job is to alert him. Isn't that what the pitchside monitor is there for?
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