Manchester United picked up a draw in Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first Premier League game in charge, drawing 1-1 against Chelsea at Old Trafford.
Manchester United’s rather chaotic week came to an end as Chelsea visited Old Trafford on Sunday evening.
Erik ten Hag was sacked by United on Monday, less than 24 hours after losing 2-1 at West Ham United.
Interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy beat Leicester City in the EFL Cup before United confirmed the appointment of Ruben Amorim as head coach.
Amorim only arrives at United later in November though, leaving Van Nistelrooy to manage his first Premier League game against Chelsea.
Bruno Fernandes fired United in front from the penalty spot before Moises Caicedo smashed home a leveller for the Blues.
- READ MORE: Five things learned from Man United vs Chelsea including what Ruud van Nistelrooy plans to do next
VAR explain Lisandro Martinez decision
United will take a point after a fairly scrappy encounter, but there was nearly a late sting for Van Nistelrooy and co.
Lisandro Martinez went in for a challenge on Cole Palmer and appeared to catch the Chelsea playmaker on his knee.
Martinez’s studs were up and it was almost similar to the Bruno Fernandes incident against Tottenham Hotspur.
VAR ruled the Fernandes incident as ‘serious foul play’ despite the United captain appearing to slip in the challenge.
Martinez was only given a yellow card and VAR’s explanation has now been published by the Premier League Match Centre.
They suggest that Martinez’s ‘reckless’ but not serious foul play, upholding the decision to hand him a yellow card rather than a red.
It’s worth noting here that Martinez did also appear to slip at the end of the tackle, with VAR potentially seeing the error of their ways in the Fernandes sending off.
Roy Keane on Lisandro Martinez
United escaped a disastrous red card with Martinez perhaps a touch fortunate; if a red card had been award on the field, you get the sense it wouldn’t have been overturned.
That is certainly how Roy Keane feels with the former United captain offering his verdict whilst speaking on Sky Sports (03/11, 18:50).
Keane suggested that Martinez was a ‘lucky boy’ having escaped a red card, believing that Palmer made him look like a fool.
Keane added that Martinez’s tackle was ‘nasty’ and whilst he committed some bad fouls in his playing days, he doesn’t think Martinez could have had any complaints if he had been sent off.
“A lucky boy, the lad is a lucky boy,” said Keane.
“Honestly, he won’t be happy with Palmer making a fool of him here, obviously he’s gone in there and it’s a great bit of skill… it’s a nasty tackle.
“Obviously, I’m always wary with me criticising tackles, because I’ve done some daft stuff, so maybe I’ll hand this over.
“He’s a lucky boy; I don’t think he did catch him properly, it’s almost down the side of his leg, that’s how I look at it. But if he got sent off, I’d say there’d be no complaints,” he added.
Martinez evaded a red card and that is a boost; the last thing United need right now is a Martinez suspension, so Van Nistelrooy will certainly breathe a huge sigh of relief this evening.
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