Although the decision to bench Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes sparked controversy, referee Chris Kavanagh will continue to officiate in the Premier League.
The incident occurred just before halftime when Kavanagh ruled that the Portuguese international had committed a serious foul on Tottenham’s James Maddison. Fernandes was subsequently sent off, but after the match, he voiced his disagreement with the decision. He even mentioned that Maddison himself thought the red card was harsh and that a different outcome would have been more appropriate.
Adding to the debate, former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher weighed in, describing the incident as an “optical illusion.” He argued that Kavanagh’s decision to issue a red card was a mistake, suggesting that a yellow card would have been a fairer judgment in that scenario.
Despite the backlash surrounding his decision, Kavanagh will return to officiating duties this weekend. However, his next role will be in Stockley Park, overseeing VAR during Everton’s clash with Newcastle United at Goodison Park on Saturday evening. Following that, Kavanagh will be back on the pitch as the main referee when Chelsea faces Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
The controversy surrounding Kavanagh stems from his decision to reduce Manchester United to 10 men while they were trailing 1-0. Many have criticized him for being misled by the assistant referee, with Gallagher stating, “I don’t think many believed the assistant referee had much influence at the time.”
Gallagher further explained that Kavanagh’s quick decision to show the red card was likely influenced by the assistant referee’s perspective. “The angle the referee had was misleading, and if he had been able to combine multiple views of the incident, the outcome might have been different,” Gallagher said. He added that the assistant referee’s view could have made the challenge appear worse than it actually was, as from that angle, Fernandes’ foot might have seemed higher than it was in reality.
According to Gallagher, Kavanagh didn’t fully grasp the force or speed of the tackle, given the short distance Fernandes covered. “If you look at the tackle from different angles, it’s clear that it didn’t warrant a red card,” Gallagher
concluded.